The Entrepreneurs

A cultural and culinary guide to the UAE, from Abu Dhabi to Umm Al Quwain

Abu Dhabi

Stay: The Abu Dhabi Edition
A stylish spot overlooking the Al Bateen Marina. Designed by Lebanese firm Khatib & Alami, its curvaceous form encompasses 198 rooms. The restaurant is headed by British chef Tom Aikens.
editionhotels.com

Stay: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
A palatial beachfront hotel that’s to be savoured over a luxurious break rather than on a business trip. Dining options include Hakkasan Abu Dhabi and Talea by Antonio Guida.
mandarinoriental.com

Eat: Aptitude Café
This annexe of Louvre Abu Dhabi is worthy of a visit in its own right. Try the spicy shakshuka or the truffle rigatoni.
louvreabudhabi.ae

Eat: Flavors
Argentinian wagyu shawarma and fiery chicken are seared on an open grill by chef Nabeel Hassan, who honed his craft in Damascus. There, he learned the art of flambage, in which meat is smoked with spirits for a rich flavour.
flavorslc.com

Eat: Marmellata
Father-and-son duo Raj and Sebastian Dagstani serve up homemade focaccia topped with imaginative ingredients, such as smoked duck breast or sticky figs. A neighbourhood classic.
marmellatalove.com

Eat: Niri
Modern izakaya Niri is a homely Japanese bar and dining room. Perch at the counter to watch the chefs preparing umami-rich miso sea bass and smoky lamb chops that are delicately served in shiso pesto.
nirirestaurant.com

Eat: No57
Entrepreneurs Buthaina Al Mazrui and Alamira Noor Bani Hashim co-founded the No57 brand in 2012. The former supper-club hosts now have a café with a modern menu and sharing plates.
no57.co

Eat: Saddle Café
Saddle has various Abu Dhabi outposts, so you’re never far from a coffee fix or za’atar croissant. Drop by its bustling cafés on Hudayriat Island and Al Raha Gardens, and its first dine-in spot at Marsa Al Bateen.
7th Street, Al Raha Gardens, Khalifa City

Eat: SLRP
Another Japanese joint – this one’s best for ramen. The handmade noodles are superb but expect a twist: truffle oil, caramelised walnuts or mushroom cream. It’s the world’s first Michelin-starred ramen restaurant.
slrpramen.com

Visit: 421
The garage-style doorway of this former warehouse space retracts to reveal a creative hub, studio, library, shop and gallery. Expect all kinds of experimentation, from cinema and pottery to movement workshops.
421.online

Visit: Abu Dhabi Fish Market
The new marketplace in the port district of Mina Zayed is home to fresh seafood restaurants, shops and dry-fish stalls.
Mina Zayed port

Visit: Louvre Abu Dhabi
A cultural partnership between France and the uae paved the way for this region-leading art centre by architect Jean Nouvel.
louvreabudhabi.ae

Visit: Manarat Al Saadiyat
In the heart of the uae’s new cultural hub, Manarat Al Saadiyat is supporting grass-roots initiatives in an expanding international art scene. Think classes, talks, screenings, exhibitions and more.
manaratalsaadiyat.ae

Visit: Things
Take a seat at the espresso bar, which hosts guest roasters from Qatar and Singapore, browse the designer eyewear on sale or attend one of the jazz nights.
wearethings.ae

See: Abrahamic Family House
A symbol of tolerance on a concrete plinth: a mosque, church and synagogue. Architect David Adjaye gave each equal prominence.
abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae

See: Jubail Mangrove Walking Park
Spot the reef herons, sea turtles and flamingos in this marine habitat. It’s a refreshing change from the bustle of the metropolitan district.
jubailisland.ae

See: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
One of the uae’s most remarkable mosques. German chandeliers, Austrian crystals and Indian marble make up the rich details of Syrian architect Youssef Abdelke’s masterpiece.
szgmc.gov.ae

Shop: The Galleria
This mall in the city’s new financial district is housed in an experimental Arabic lattice-style building. After expansion in 2019, it has become a one-stop retail hub with a rooftop park.
thegalleria.ae

Shop: Local
Jack Brett and Jasim Alkhouri’s lively stop-off in Al Zeina includes a streetwear boutique, barbershop for a quick trim and an excellent little coffee shop.
localco.ae

Shop: Mazaraa Farm Shop
Juicy tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chillies and aubergines grow here in abundance. The waste is recycled into fertiliser for the farm’s menagerie of buffaloes, horses, hens and cows.
11 Lane 438, Al Bahyah

Work: Hub71
Abu Dhabi’s gateway for new technology companies has collaborated with WeWork to build the city’s best workspace on the 15th floor of the Al Khatem Tower.
hub71.com

Dubai

Stay: Park Hyatt Dubai
A palm-fringed affair on Dubai’s historic Creek with sprawling views. Despite its 223 rooms, the Park Hyatt has a refreshing low-rise residential feel, a short stroll from the golf and yacht clubs and traditional souks.
hyatt.com

Stay: XVA Hotel
Dubai is home to hundreds of hotels but very few could be considered boutique. xva opened in the Al Fahidi district in 2003 with the idea of creating both a hotel where art lovers could stay and a space to raise the profile of local artists.
xvahotel.com

Eat: Al Falamanki
Al Falamanki transports Dubai diners to a Beirut backstreet, complete with shisha smoke and the clatter of backgammon sets. The Levantine fare takes centre stage. Try the hommos Beiruti.
Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach Road

Eat: Bu Qtair
No menu, no reservations and no frills. Bu Qtair serves grilled fish, spicy prawns, parathas, curry gravy and rice. Fishermen make up a good portion of the clientele but those in the know will travel to be part of the action here. Cash only.
buqtairrestaurant.com

Eat: The Guild
The Guild is Dubai’s louche, leafy tribute to the brasseries of Europe and New York but delivered in true uae style (in other words, it takes things to the max). Its art deco interiors are filled with rich textures and colours. This 1,600 sq m space with five food and drink spots is great for a business breakfast meeting or nightcap. Try the sunken lounge or a perch at the Potting Shed Bar.
theguilddubai.com

Eat: Jun’s
A fun, upmarket affair in Downtown Dubai founded by Chinese-Canadian chef Kelvin Cheung. Expect experimental dishes with ingredients and ideas from across the world.
junsdubai.com

Eat: Lowe
Lowe’s large open kitchen features a wood oven, charcoal grill and a rotisserie, all of which are employed to create chef duo Jesse Blake and Kate Christou’s tasty international dishes. Well worth a visit.
lowe-dubai.com

Eat: The Maine
Montréal entrepreneur Joey Ghazal brought The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill to Dubai in 2015. There are sites in Business Bay and Studio City, as well as a taco truck and an outpost in London. It’s a great space for a deal-sealing drink.
themaine.ae

Eat: Orfali Bros
Brothers Mohammad, Wassim and Omar Orfali moved here from war-torn Syria and opened the joyful Jumeirah restaurant in 2021. They soon became the toast of the town for their just-so pastries and inventive small plates riffing on regional flavours.
orfalibros.com

Eat: Teible
In Dubai’s smart Jameel Arts Centre, Teible, from entrepreneur Peter Ahn, is a Nordic farm-to-table restaurant. The uae’s investment in regional produce and farming is starting to bear fruit (and vegetables).
teible.com

Eat: Trèsind Studio
Chef Himanshu Saini’s team earned fêted Indian restaurant Trèsind Studio its second Michelin star in 2023. Its bar, Papadom, makes excellent drinks to complement the meals.
tresindstudio.com

Eat: Zuma
Zuma has locations all over the globe but its Dubai outpost is well known for its stellar service and excellent cocktails. Expect modern Japanese food that stays just the right side of traditional.
zumarestaurant.com

Caffeinate: Heal Home
Heal Home feels like a slice of California on Al Manara Road. Expect bright-green matcha lattes and fruity açaí bowls. There’s also a decent homeware section for scented candles and uae-made ceramics.
healhome.ae

Caffeinate: To the Moon Back
Inspired by speciality coffee shops while studying in Australia, Abu Dhabi-born Zainab Al Mousawi opened her own. The space is decorated with eccentric furniture and the food is out of this world.
La Plage Residence, Al Athar Street, Jumeirah

See: Alserkal Avenue
This compound in Al Quoz is at the centre of Dubai’s creative revival. Its warren-like galleries, cinemas, music venues and more all share an atmosphere that is refreshingly collegiate compared to what you’d find in London or New York.
Al Quoz, Industrial Area 1

See: Jameel Arts Centre
The ideas of exchange and transparency are reflected here in the design by Serie Architects, with glass walls that look out onto a sculpture park. Come to browse the Jameel Foundation’s permanent art collection or one of the many revolving contemporary exhibitions.
jameelartscentre.org

See: Tashkeel
An incubator for visual art and design hailing from the uae. The venue’s rich annual programme opens the doors for local talent to integrate with the established art world through a host of talks, collaborations and workshops.
tashkeel.org

Shop: Kinokuniya
This Japanese bookshop is the best in town. Based inside Dubai Mall, the region’s largest bookshop offers a collection of more than half a million books and countless magazines in languages including English, Arabic, French and Chinese.
uae.kinokuniya.com

Shop: Magrudy’s
Opened in 1975, Magrudy’s is a family-run business and the catch-all for Dubai residents seeking print, stationery, boardgames and more. Loyal customers come for book clubs and talks by authors.
magrudy.com

Shop: Mirzam
Run by New Zealander Kathy Johnston, Mirzam’s cocoa beans and ingredients – inspired by the region’s maritime spice routes – are chosen for their flavours.
mirzam.com

Sharjah

Stay: Chedi Al Bait
The Serai Wing of the Chedi Al Bait hotel’s new travertine stone and perforated white- metal exteriors blends with the serene, textile-rich interiors. The two-storey Khalid Grand Suite provides what might be the best night’s sleep in Sharjah.
ghmhotels.com

Stay: Hotel Al Faya Retreat Sharjah
Two simple 1960s stone buildings have been transformed into a five-room eco-lodge and spa offering fine dining, a roof terrace for stargazing and a swimming pool.
hotels-sharjah-uae.com

Eat: Ahmed Ali Kababi & Sons
Founded in 1950, Ahmad Ali Kababi is a renowned no-frills and no-fuss Sharjah establishment. The menu consists of Iranian speciality kabab masti, which consists of small pieces of chicken or lamb marinated in sour yoghurt and grilled on hot coals.
Maysaloon, Al Sharq

Eat: Fen Café & Restaurant
Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi opened this spot during the 2016 Sharjah Art Biennial, and it has since expanded to multiple venues throughout the emirate.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali Al Mahmoud Square, Mureijah

Visit: Heart Beach
Located in one of Sharjah’s most popular tourist destinations, the undisturbed Heart Beach looks out over the Gulf of Oman on the eastern coast of the uae. Unlike in more built-up areas, there are no amenities, so take a picnic and plenty of water.
Al Mudeife 1, Khorfakkan

See: Al Hamriyah Studios
Opened in 2017 by the Sharjah Art Foundation, Al Hamriyah is a revered space on the site of a former souk on the Sharjah coast near Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. Designed by Emirati architect Khalid Al Najjar, it’s a charming art space for the northern emirates.
Hamriya West

See: Al Noor Butterfly House
Located across the water from Al Noor Mosque, this attractive structure is home to more than 500 butterflies from 20 different species. The house itself is made from 4,000 aluminium flowers, latticed by 3deluxe architects to allow in the right amount of sunlight.
alnoorisland.ae

See: Flying Saucer
Opened in 1978 as a French restaurant and patisserie, Flying Saucer was renovated and reopened as an exhibition venue for the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2020. The brutalist star-shaped building remains a must-see.
sharjahart.org

See: Kalba Ice Factory
Peruvian studio 51-1 Arquitectos transformed this 1970s ice-storage facility into a cultural venue, restaurant and hotel in 2023. The Sharjah Art Foundation displays large-scale contemporary artworks here.
Algurm

See: Masrah Al Qasba Theatre
This multi-purpose auditorium with a diverse programme of music, theatre and art is also home to Sharjah’s most important cultural events, including the Sharjah Film Festival.
alqasba.ae

See: Mleiha Archaeological Centre
Centred around a Bronze Age tomb, this area in the Sharjah desert was transformed into an urban park by Dubai-based Dabbagh Architects. Visitors can explore the indoor museum, desert gardens and stunning surroundings.
discovermleiha.ae

See: Wasit Nature Reserve
Made up of salt flats, ponds and a large lake along coastal sand dunes, Wasit Nature Reserve is a great place to glimpse some wildlife, including almost 200 bird species and a whole host of small mammals, reptiles and insects.
Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Street, Al Houma

Ras Al Khaimah

Stay: The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
An hour’s drive from Dubai International is the newly relaunched Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi. The hotel draws on indigenous bedouin culture with vast tented suites, traditional watchtowers and ornamental lanterns, making it a refreshing oasis in which to escape from the heat of the desert.
ritzcarlton.com

Eat: 1484 By Puro
At 1,484 metres above sea level, Puro overlooks the rocky landscape of Jebel Jais canyon. Arrive for sunrise or sunset and treat yourself to anything from duck confit to yoghurt muesli.
puro.ae

Eat: SOL Beach Lounge & Bar
In the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, SOL offers shawarma, cocktails and seafood. With coastal views and pool access, it is the ideal place to loaf around and relax. Don’t miss the chef’s piña colada cake.
hilton.com

Eat: UMI
This trendy restaurant offers teppan-yaki in the desert. There’s a resident sushi and sashimi chef too, while the expansive bar and lounge area is bordered by a Japanese garden.
Vienna Street, Jazeera Al Hamra

Drink: Karma Kafé by Buddha Bar
At Hampton by Hilton Marjan Island, travellers gather at Karma Kafé for the finest in mixology, cuisine and music. Enjoy the stark contrast of the fiery interior and the delicately painted magnolia wallpaper.
hilton.com

Visit: Emirates Flower Farm
Recently opened to visitors, the Emirates Flower Farm welcomes guests to wander through avenues of dandelions, yarrow, saffron and larkspur, and arrange bouquets at the end of their trip. The farm supplies florists in Sharjah and Dubai.
uaeflowerfarm.ae

Visit: Jebel Jais canyon
Part of the Al Hajar range, Jebel Jais is the highest mountain in the uae. It’s criss-crossed with hiking trails and ziplines, all open to visitors. Even in summer, it’s much cooler than at sea level below and offers the opportunity for outdoor activities, as well as lunch at 1484 By Puro.
visitjebeljais.com

See: Al Jazeera Al Hamra
The only remaining intact pearling village in the Gulf region. With a mosque, souk, fort, courtyards and living quarters, the historic abandoned village offers a window into the uae’s past.
ajah.ae

See: Suwaidi Pearl Farm
In a small fishing village at the foot of the Hajars, the Suwaidi Pearl Farm offers tours of the surrounding Arabian Gulf, as well as jewellery workshops and paddle-boarding.
suwaidipearls.ae

Fujairah

Stay: Address Beach Resort Fujairah
There are many luxury resorts to choose from on the uae’s east coast but it wouldn’t be a trip to Fujairah without a stop in Al Aqah, home to some of the nation’s best coastline, where you’ll find this hotel.
addresshotels.com

Eat: Al Meshwar
Hungry? Then step into this restaurant whose interiors have impressive columns, arches and chandeliers. Al Meshwar has been dedicated to Lebanese cuisine for the past 20 years.
Hamad Bin Abdulla Road

Eat: Hygge Cafe
Inspired by the Danish concept of cosiness, this café’s earthy tones are serene. Just off the Al Aqah beach, it’s a tasteful spot to try after taking a dip.
+971 56 109 1417
Al Aqah

Eat: Steki
Greek classics such as moussaka, pastitsio and spetsiota might seem out of place in the heart of Fujairah but the curvy interiors of this restaurant mimic the alcoves and rocky coasts shared by Greece and the eastern emirate.
steki.ae

See: Fujairah Fort
This 16th-century fort is the oldest in the uae. It offers a great vantage point to see the city.
Al Sharyah

See: Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Named to honour the founder of the uae, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, this mosque stands out from the vast cityscape of Fujairah.
Al Ittihad

Ajman

Stay: Ajman Saray
On a stretch of pristine beach with views of the Arabian Gulf, Ajman Saray was inspired by mashrabiya motifs and intricate zellij tiles. The hotel has a great pool and impressive fountains.
marriott.com

Eat: Dragon’s Place
On Ajman’s coastline, the charismatic Heina and Teddy serve chef Hamza’s sashimi and nigiri. For a more intimate affair, there are two private rooms with red floor cushions and shoji paper walls.
Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi Street

Eat: Seascape
In Ajman Corniche’s Wyndham Garden, Seascape specialises in a range of fresh seafood.
wyndhamgardenajman.com

Visit: Ajman Stud Farm
The Emirati horse-riding tradition is galloping ahead at this site 30km outside Ajman city. The top-notch equestrian centre is the passion project of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, crown prince of Ajman.
ajmanstud.com

Visit: Al Zorah Nature Reserve
These protected wetlands provide refuge for a host of flora and fauna. With its 7km of waterfront, 2km of beach and a tidal creek, it makes for a perfect setting for windsurfing or kayaking amid nature.
The Pavilion Al Zorah, Al Ittihad Road

Umm Al Quwain

Stay: Vida Beach Resort
A yellow-striped parasol at the beach delineates a great afternoon spent in Umm Al Quwain. This hotel sits on the beachfront and is our favourite stop in the area.
vidahotels.com

Visit: Al Hamriyah Studios Beach House
The Sharjah Art Foundation’s northernmost outpost is a marvel of modern architecture that basks by the beach at Al Hamriyah, equidistant from Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.
sharjahart.org

See: Sailfish roundabout
If you’re driving down Umm Al Quwain’s eastern beachside, slow down at the Oqbah Bin Nafae Street roundabout to appreciate some true kitsch. You can’t miss the statue of a sailfish leaping from the centre of the roundabout. It’s not the only sculpture of its kind: in Dibba, there’s a giant paraffin lamp centrepiece and you can pivot around two giant oysters at a Ras Al Khaimah junction.

Do: Umm Al Quwain Open Beach
Near uaq’s fishing harbour you’ll find a 2km stretch of beach dotted with rustic huts operating non-motorised watersports. Kite Beach Center is the best spot to get kitted out with all you need for kite surfing, stand-up paddle-boarding, surfing, kayaking – and it has a decent bar too.
kitebeachcenter.ae

New waters

You could, if you squint, be in Ibiza. We’re standing at the foot of an Iberian-looking restaurant with a stucco exterior and the loose shape of a lighthouse. But look closer and you’ll see inspiration taken from across the world, from a rustic terrace to parasols emblazoned with Aztec suns. In the shallows there’s a bright, white superyacht, bobbing in the calm blue water.

Only this isn’t the Balearics but a beach club called Tagomago on the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. In keeping with this city’s zeal for constantly reshaping itself, a corner of the club’s sugar-white sand is being hollowed out by a digger to make way for a pool. “It’s not usual for a restaurant to reclaim some of the Palm in this way,” says Rizwan Kassim, the French co-founder of the Rikas Hospitality Group, which owns Tagomago and several other beach clubs along the coastline. “We enjoy the business of creating a destination.”

Tagomago opened earlier in 2023 to some fanfare. It is among a crop of new Mediterranean-inspired beach clubs setting out their stalls – and loungers – around the uae. A spirited competition is under way for who has the most elegant lunchtime service or the best (read biggest) sound system and accompanying sundowners. Rikas already holds four sun-and-sand clubs around Dubai – including St Tropez-esque Twiggy on the city’s Creek – but now has its sights set on building more in the years to come and is looking at other emirates. “Since the pandemic, there has been a lot of people moving to the uae from Russia, China and Europe, which has brought a new mentality into the market,” says Kassim. The beach is big business, he explains; seeking inspiration, he has looked to the south of France, Spain and Italy, where a rich culture of water-going exists. “The idea is to create something that makes you forget that you are in Dubai.”

That might sound like an odd sentiment but independent beach clubs were until recently a fairly niche pursuit in the Emirates. The now-defunct Jumeirah Beach Club was the original expat hangout before it closed in 2007 and, since then, much of the coastline has become a tussle between hotel groups and real-estate developers. The actual public beaches, like the windswept Kite Beach in Dubai, are much-loved but left fairly wild.

The past few years have seen emphasis placed on giving more people access to the water. That’s not just for hotel guests or apartment owners; new infrastructure has been built on several public beaches, such as the lights and showers on Dubai’s Night Swimming Beach, a popular spot for evenings during the hot summer months. On the Palm Jumeirah, West Palm Beach is a row of privately run beach clubs of varying quality that promise to whisk visitors away to Mykonos, Bodrum or maybe even Sochi in the summer.

When Dubai leans into a new trend, it tends to fall hard. A swathe of its Jumeirah waterfront is currently being demolished to make way for multiple new beach clubs and restaurants opening next year. The area will be rebranded “J1”, and the likes of Italy’s Gigi Rigolatto promise to bring a bit of the Riviera to Jumeirah.

“There has been a major shift from nightlife to more day-life in this city, perhaps because a lot of the nightclubs closed during the pandemic,” says Jacob Kane, the Aussie manager of Kyma, a Rikas-run beach club on the Palm that has a Grecian vibe. “People are looking for somewhere they can dine and stay until sunset.”

The temperature on Kyma’s stretch of sand might nudge over 40c on the day that Monocle visits but the chilled infinity pool soon fills up. On a weekend, Kane says, they can get as many as 800 guests a day and the crowds don’t fall away entirely in the punishing summer heat. The influx of Russians buying up properties on the Palm has supercharged the industry. “At one point, we were looking at putting Russian wine on the menu,” says Kane.

With their tasselled parasols and striped beach towels, many of the uae’s new clubs take visual cues from somewhere else entirely. They have become a place where a very international clientele can feel at ease; somewhere to kick back a bit in a city that has emerged as a crossroads of doing business. It’s no wonder that overseas beach-club operators are looking to move in. Yet there is only so much beachfront up for grabs and the Rikas Hospitality Group is not the only entrepreneur eyeing up other emirates to plant a flag in the sand.

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is due to host the Emirates’ first casino when Wynn Resorts opens in 2027 and this is expected to reposition what is often thought of as a quieter corner of the country. Several beach clubs are getting in early; Ula, for instance, opened first in Dubai but has now franchised with an opening on rak’s manmade Marjan Island, where the Wynn will one day stand.

“Dubai is oversaturated and the Palm is built up but in rak you have a sense of nature,” says Fabien Chesnais, the general manager of the Mövenpick Resort that hosts Ula’s new rak outpost. He shows us around: palm-tree fronds rattle in the delicate Gulf breeze, there’s the insistent thud of Balearic house music and someone on a lounger is popping open a beer at 11.00. “It’s a land of opportunity out here.”

Case study:
Night swimming

In the shadow of the “seven-star” Burj Al Arab hotel, surrounded by some of the most sought-after property in Dubai, is a public amenity that is accessible to all and very particular to life in the uae. The Night Swimming Beach is a floodlit patch of sand and sea in Umm Suqeim where people can splash around, swim and soak in the cooler evening water by moonlight. It is a peaceful, elegant place – there are no pumping sound systems here, no clamour of advertisements or revving cars. An almost reverential hush settles over the place as day turns to night, with only the gentle murmur of a multitude of accents and the occasional whoop of enjoyment coming from the waves.

Capital investment

Abu Dhabi may be the wealthiest Emirate and the uae’s capital but it’s occasionally overshadowed by its louder, bolder neighbour to the northeast. While wealth and administrative clout might not sound like reasons to move here, Abu Dhabi’s success has come from a combination of careful planning and ambitious investments that have made its seaside developments and islands – of which it boasts more than 200 – some of the country’s most desirable places to live. What’s more, entrepreneurs are starting to feel the draw too.

Just ask Raj Dagstani, the founder of Marmellata, a bustling waterside pizzeria in Al Mina. After moving from the US, Dagstani wanted to open a spot where his children could work and his family could be part of a community. Originally open just one night a week – with queues snaking around the block – Marmellata really started cooking following the pandemic, when Dagstani decided to open four days a week and discard his hole-in-the-wall approach. “Now we have 30 seats inside and 30 more outside,” he tells Monocle with excitement. “Marmellata is an extension of our home and everybody’s welcome.”

There are many nearby diversions too. Not far from Marmellata is 421, a gallery – with a sensational bookshop – dedicated to emerging regional artists. Designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and dreamt up by the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, this space is the first step in an enterprising plan to overhaul the former warehouse district to create leafy, walkable spaces for setting up businesses in a once overlooked part of town. 421 also proves an inviolable truth about good neighbourhoods: they must have a great coffee shop. The team worked with Auro Coffee (whose less fancy flagship is just a few doors from Marmellata) to station an outpost within the gallery by third-generation Ethiopian coffee-maker Ghassan Bagersh. With 3 million sq m of available space, the Mina Zayed Port is also set to be transformed into a home for the city’s fish, haberdashery, and fruit and vegetable markets.

While inroads have been made for cycling and walking, you’ll still need a car here and the vast majority of journeys are made on four wheels, whether you live in desirable Al Maryah, Al Reem or Umm Yifeenah islands. So, since you’re strapped in, you may as well make the most of the seaside city’s most famous assets on nearby Al Saadiyat Island.

The headline attraction here is architect Jean Nouvel’s domed, low-slung delight:the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017. To the north is another sprawling site, this time designed by Frank Gehry, which will house the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, set to open in 2025. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the Foster + Partners-designed Zayed National Museum, with its extravagant silhouette that resembles a falcon’s wing, the Natural History Museum (also due in 2025), and the Abrahamic Family House by David Adjaye, a site with a synagogue, church and mosque set on a raised plinth. It’s monumental stuff.

But it’s not all leisure. Abu Dhabi is a hard-working place and Al Maryah Island has some of the city’s newest and most sought-after offices, many already snapped up by blue-chip tenants. The island’s location between downtown and new business and residential districts makes it an important place for trade and commerce. Indeed, it was designated Abu Dhabi’s new Central Business District in 2007, and the island also houses Abu Dhabi Global Market, a financial centre and free zone. For a better view, head to the 15th floor of Al Khatem Tower, where tech company Hub71 has collaborated with Wework on a co-working space that overlooks the capital.

Back at Marmellata, the waves are crashing on the seafront and the light is fading. Dagstani greets familiar faces as he zips around handing piping-hot pizzas to happy tables. He may have arrived here from the US but there’s a growing sense that even expats are proud of Abu Dhabi’s increasingly desirable quality of life.

“One day a guest walked in with 3kg of figs,” says Dagstani. “So naturally we made fig pizza. We use uae-made cheese and work with local farms in the desert to grow oyster mushrooms. We have a simple, ingredient-driven approach.” Some careful planning, neighbourhood investments and a little community spirit has served Dagstani well. They might just be the ingredients for Abu Dhabi’s success too.

Living in Sharjah
The UAE’s third city is ideal for cultured types.

Sharjah concentrates on Emirati culture, art and history. With some of the UAE’s best museums and galleries, it is an interesting place to not only visit but also to live. It boasts a more relaxed lifestyle than busier Dubai to its southwest and there are plenty of family-friendly residential areas to choose from. Al Taawun is a bustling district with views of the waterfront and Al Nahda is a good option for those commuting to Dubai. Sharjah is more conservative than its counterparts, so you won’t be able to go out to enjoy your favourite tipple, however there is no shortage of good places to eat. Fen Café & Restaurant in the Sharjah Art Foundation space offers a lavish international menu. If you’re looking for something more Arabian-inspired, head to Laffah Restaurant for shawarma “as it is meant to be”. With creativity at the heart of the emirate, Sharjah takes co-working spaces seriously and there is an array to choose from; Fikra Campus on Al Wahda Street would be our choice. Sharjah has land on both the Gulf coast and the Gulf of Oman, so be sure to venture to the town of Khorfakkan on the weekends for sand, sea and rugged landscapes.

Home stretch

Downtown Dubai is a neighbourhood that needs little introduction. World-class shopping and architectural icons such as the Burj Khalifa have ensured that the area is firmly on people’s itineraries. But don’t let the scale of the city’s commercial heart mislead you – this is an ideal neighbourhood in which to put down roots, establish a business and enjoy the best that Dubai has to offer.

At its centre is the Old Town, built in 2006 (the name is a nod to the traditional architectural style of the region, rather than its age). “What I like about the area is that it has a feeling of seclusion and privacy,” says Jola Chudy, a communications consultant who moved here more than 10 years ago. “Inside the neighbourhood, it’s all interconnected by cobbled walkways so it’s completely pedestrianised with a lot of greenery, communal areas and shops.”

The nearby Safa Park provides shade and greenery in a city where both are scarce and, for the early risers, a run along the Al Jaddaf canal is the perfect start to a day spent inside an office. “It’s a real escape from the daily grind,” says Chudy, who tells Monocle that it is possible to mix business with pleasure here. “I’ve grown my business a lot through my running community,” she says. “Dubai is great for building strong networks. It’s just such a dynamic and interesting place to be.”

One of the key areas for business in the city is the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), next to Downtown Dubai. The two areas combined create a super-neighbourhood where retail, hospitality and industry thrive. One such example is Lulu & the Beanstalk, a café, restaurant and bookshop opened in 2022 by sisters Wafa Tajdin and Amirah Tajdin. The pair, originally from Kenya, have also lived in South Africa; they eventually settled in the uae and decided to open the space. “It’s such a busy city, so we wanted to create somewhere people could meet, have great food and relax,” says Wafa. The venue’s colourful interiors are courtesy of Bofink Design Studio from Sweden and the huge bookcase that covers one of the walls hides a DJ booth for when coffees are swapped for cocktails.

The district’s sea of steel and glass might make it difficult to imagine what goes on inside of the buildings that constitute the difc. The office towers are full but a simple stroll through the area’s promenades and interconnected walkways shows you that this is a place bustling with life: the hundreds of restaurants are always packed and galleries such as Tabari Artspace, founded by collector Maliha Tabari in 2003, regularly rotate their exhibitions to cater to a hungry creative crowd.

Though this is a car-centric city, Downtown Dubai and the difc have direct access to the Metro and are separated by just one stop on the red line – so going from your home to a café can be both hassle- and car-free. “It has become increasingly easier to establish a business here,” says Chudy. “There’s a real ‘can do’ and ‘why not?’ attitude. It’s a very entrepreneurial place and that is palpable.”

Life’s a beach

The laidback low-rise neighbourhood that runs along Jumeirah Beach Road is everything that Downtown Dubai isn’t. Back in the 1970s, it was one of the city’s first residential communities, benefiting from space and proximity to the beach. Today the 26km-long road runs roughly from the Dubai Dry Docks in the northeast down to Dubai Marina in the southwest, but when most people refer to the “Beach Road” they usually mean the stretch between the seaside neighbourhoods of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

This is one of Dubai’s most liveable areas (for those with deeper pockets, at least), home to a mix of Emiratis and international residents who live in smart villa compounds, small apartment complexes or standalone beach homes. “Our bungalow is on the corner of a beautiful ungated community of 118 villas built in 1991,” says resident Akshay Sardana, director of cfs Group. “It’s reminiscent of a time when houses in the uae were built solid on larger plots of land, ceilings were high and every room accessed the garden.” Having grown up in the area, Sardana knew that he wanted to raise his family here. “Our kids skate, bike and walk to school. If you ask our seven-year-old, Rai, what makes his neighbourhood special, he’ll tell you it’s his friends from all over the world, perhaps with a skew towards the French in our quarter.”

At first glance, the Beach Road seems like a strip of cosmetic surgery clinics and a handful of luxury resorts – but there’s way more to it. The neighbourhood is home to the Etihad Museum, commemorating the 1971 signing of the treaty that united the emirates, as well as the largely overlooked ruins of a 1,000-year-old caravanserai (an ancient roadside inn where travellers rested). It’s also a treat for birdwatchers – hoopoes, bee-eaters and bulbuls flutter around the flower-filled gardens of the compounds, as if mimicking the residents who flock to the area’s many speciality coffee shops.

If you’re here to explore, start at one of the old-school villas now reborn as cafés and concept stores, such as Café Villa 515 – which has a leafy courtyard and on-site perfume lab – or Heal, beloved by Jumeirah locals for its breakfasts and peanut-butter tarts. Or seek out To The Moon & Back, a cosy café, hidden in a retro low-rise apartment block, which draws a creative crowd to its Australian-style coffee and pop-up pie days. For eclectic fashion, accessories and homeware, visit Comptoir 102 and Kulture House, a pair of stylishly renovated villas almost next door to each other. The former houses an organic café, while the latter offers comfort food and lavender lattes.

For a more substantial meal, Chef Akmal Anuar’s 11 Woodfire breathes new life into a former garden centre. Its menu of flame-cooked veggies, seafood and meat, served alongside creative alcohol-free cocktails, earned the restaurant a Michelin star just months after opening. Anuar has had his family home in the neighbourhood for the past few years. “The best part of living here is that I feel I’m in between the old and the new Dubai,” he says.

Living in Fujairah
Heritage sites and eastern influences.

Trundle around the rocky Hajar mountains to the east of the UAE and you’ll reach the emirate of Fujairah. It is located entirely on the east coast that hugs the Gulf of Oman for about 70km from the capital, Fujairah City, to Dibba in the North. The emirate is best known for resort hotels, natural beauty and tourist attractions, but with a population of more than 300,000 there is a lively community and plenty of people moving to this quieter corner of the UAE. Local industries include cement and mining, which supply materials for the building industry across the country but Fujairah is also home to a free-trade zone and offers people who don’t need to commute with beautiful surroundings. Being the only emirate to entirely overlook the east coast of the UAE, there’s also an onus on goods that come across the Indian Ocean, to and from more than 50 countries. There are plenty of housing options, including villas and apartments, which are often much more affordable than their equivalents in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The suburb of Al Faseel in northern Fujairah is a family-friendly place with plenty of amenities and its modern infrastructure provides ease of commuting to neighbouring areas of the city. There are also plenty of good places to eat – often linked to resort hotels and malls – but one that stands out is The Orangery. Located in Fujairah Tower it offers a home away from home taste of European cuisine. History is extremely important in the area, which is home to the nation’s oldest standing mosque: Al Bidya. This Unesco World Heritage site was built in the 15th century and remains in use today.

Inside the UAE’s fragrance boom, where scent is layered, ritualised and turned into business

“Scent is one of the most powerful means by which to capture and relive memories, holding the power to transport a person to a moment,” Amna Al Habtoor, the founder of Arcadia, tells Monocle. Having launched her perfume line in Dubai in 2017, Al Habtoor knew that she wanted to specialise in scents to build on the notion of nostalgia. “When I create a fragrance, it’s to be reminded of a place, a time or an emotion that is precious to me – and relatable to others.” All draw inspiration from the uae and the wider region, with notes of saffron, amber, musk and oakmoss frequently found across the brand’s collections.

While Arcadia might be an artisanal perfumery, this is not a sector to be sniffed at. Recent numbers have put the value of the uae’s fragrance market at $913.7m (€867.4), numbers which are expected to grow to $1.6bn (€1.52bn) by the end of 2030. “There is a very big demand in this market, every day you see new brands come up,” says Asim Al Qassim, the founder of Anfas, who became the first certified Emirati perfumer when his brand was founded in 2014. “Fragrance has become an essential part of every human being, it’s part of our identity.”

For Al Qassim, the layering of a perfume is everything. “In the Middle East we like to mix scents and overlay,” he tells Monocle. As a result, all the Anfas collections are designed to be mixed and combined to deliver a single fragrance. “If you overlay [Anfas perfumes] Salam or Rahaba, and then add the second and third collections, you will be smelling a very well-balanced single perfume,” says Al Qassim, revelling in the playfulness of the idea before offering a warning. “To do it well you need to deeply understand the raw materials, which might not be what you expect,” he adds. “I like to use tonka bean, vanilla and mandarin.”

It’s not just about delivering something pleasant to the nose, there’s science behind it too. “We’re the first brand in the region to create wellbeing fragrances, based on the knowledge that scent really does play an immense role in how you feel,” says Michelle Wranik-Hicks, who co-founded wellbeing fragrance brand Appellation in the uae in 2020.

Contrary to Al Habtoor and Al Qassim, Wranik-Hicks creates scents not to be spritzed onto your skin but diffused into the air. “In Emirati culture, it’s very common to use scent as a sign of hospitality,” she says. “It’s very ritualistic but also a sign of the strong reverence for natural materials.” Having moved from Australia to the UAE in 2014, her travels in the Middle East have inspired the scents that form the basis of Appellation today.

“Frankincense is one that I discovered and fell in love with while living here,” she says with relish. “This region is all about potent aromas: agalwood, oud and bakhoor [scented wood chips]. They are very pungent, aromatic scents that are becoming more common as people start to understand their beauty.”
arcadiabyamna.com; anfascollection.com; appellation.co

Meet your makers

Latifa Saeed
Artist and product designer

Emirati artist and product designer Latifa Saeed anchors her work in her native uae and its often overlooked craft and heritage. “It’s important to document our identity and reflect on what is happening in this moment,” she says, as she shows Monocle around her studio in Dubai’s Ras Al Khor neighbourhood.

As we tour her workshop on the ground floor, one material immediately stands out: sand. Saeed has gathered more than 250 containers of it from across the uae, with samples sourced everywhere, from the desert to the sea. “Sand has been around for eight billion years and holds a lot of stories,” she says. “With all of the construction that is happening right now, we will have less access to the desert in the future. This is one way of documenting it, honouring it and capturing the landscape.”

Saeed collaborated with scientists in order to research the properties of sand in the uae. As a third-generation Emirati artist, she knows how crucial it is to have support from the community and has launched her own residency programme with the aim of helping other emerging creatives. “Twice a year we gather in the studio and discuss topics relating to art, business and sustainability,” she says.

As for what comes next, Saeed is hoping to continue putting Emirati heritage on the map. “I’m interested in the documentation and accessing of personal archives,” she says. “There are families who have private records and I want to help create publications and show them to the public.”
latifasaeed.com

Adam and Viara Nicholson
Co-founders, Plyconcept

“We like going into people’s homes and being part of their lives,” says Adam Nicholson, who launched sustainable furniture brand Plyconcept in 2020 with his partner, Viara. Every piece that it makes – ranging from sideboards and credenzas to playful coat hangers and Christmas decorations – is handmade from responsibly sourced and formaldehyde-free Baltic birch, which is treated with water-based sealants and stainers to limit harmful chemicals. “I wanted to create something that revolved around the basics and that wasn’t plastered with veneers or toxic materials,” says Viara, who was born in Bahrain and has a Milanese design background, as she shows Monocle around the Plyconcept factory.

One of the advantages of a handmade furniture range is that it is highly customisable, which means that the team can easily adapt its products to clients’ requests. “That is something that has really made a difference to people,” says Adam, who was born and raised in Dubai. “They find a product that they like – and if it’s not quite right, we can change it.”

The team works out of a studio in the city’s industrial Al Quoz neighbourhood. Here, Viara sketches out and designs every item before Adam heads to the joinery at the back of the building to make the pieces with the assistance of their small team of skilled carpenters and joiners. “We don’t outsource production,” says Viara. “Everything is done by our team right here. When we tell people that our furniture is made in Dubai, we really do mean it.”
plyconcept.ae

Nicole Farrelly
Founder, Cole & Cinder

Nicole Farrelly moved to the UAE from the UK more than 10 years ago and founded Cole & Cinder in 2020. After she started several businesses, which ranged from creating kimonos to making hand-woven baskets, Cole & Cinder was her way of bringing her design ideas together under a single brand.

Farrelly creates her handmade pieces at OKA Ceramics, a fetching public studio where resident artists rub shoulders with enthusiastic amateurs. Her ceramics often reflect nature; ribbed lines of clay balance on top of each other, subtly evoking the contours of a topographic map.

Her Fossil collection leaves the clay untreated, while the Silk range uses fine, twice-glazed porcelain with a glossy finish. “The neutral tones accentuate the complexity of the shapes,” says Farrelly. “The texture helps to make them the showpiece.”

The vases and bowls have been hugely popular with Emirati and Saudi collectors, says Farrelly, whose handcrafted approach means that every piece is a one-of-a-kind work. “The coiled element is now my signature, which people are beginning to recognise.”

Her larger works have become a favourite of interior designers who are looking for evocative and unique objects to bring spaces to life. Her fans have included designer Nada Debs, who has a cluster of Cole & Cinder pieces displayed on her built-in shelves at home. Farrelly’s is a talent that needs to be handled with care.
coleandcinder.com

Rabah Saeid
Founder, Styled Habitat

Interior designer Rabah Saeid moved from the US to the uae in 2012. After working for large architectural firms for several years, she was ready for the next step in her career. In 2016 she launched interior design practice Styled Habitat, based in Dubai’s D3 Design District. “I was missing the collaborative small-studio environment, which is more inspiring and challenging,” she says.

The studio employs a team of eight. Saeid’s aesthetic is simple and high-end. “I like to work with honest materials that improve with time,” she says. “If I use stone the sheen will soften, leather will patina and lacquered items will age beautifully.” She also likes to evoke a sense of nostalgia, something that she believes has struck a chord with clients in the uae, where many spaces are modern. “We’re so hungry for that feeling because we’re such a new city.”

The cosmopolitanism of the uae has benefited Saeid, as no two clients are alike. “Their backgrounds, education and where they have lived varies so much that they reference places all over the world and that’s exciting,” she says. “When your skyline is so new, it can feel a little soulless. But if you make things feel attainable and approachable while using simple materials, it can be beautiful.”
styledhabitat.com

Aljoud Lootah
Founder, Aljoud Lootah Design Studio

Emirati designer Aljoud Lootah’s knack for distilling cultural references into functional forms has earned her acclaim from around the world. “We have been fortunate enough to tour international design fairs,” she says. “In doing so, we have opened up a world of opportunities – collaborating with manufacturers using materials from Carrara marble to porcelain from Stoke-on-Trent.”

The shelves in Lootah’s studio present just a fraction of the work that’s done here. The breadth of materials and forms can make the studio’s specific design language hard to gauge. “We’ll work with any material or form, as long as we’re confident that it can be precisely executed,” says Lootah. Previous works include a camel-leather chest, which was chosen by the uae government to house the title deed to the country’s first church, before being given to Pope Francis.

Perhaps her best-known design is the Takya bench, a pared-back piece with four layers of cushions. “It’s quintessentially Emirati and plays on the tendency of children here to stack up rectangular cushions to build play areas,” says Lootah. Her references might be domestic but her work is being appreciated in all corners of the country: even the ministry of presidential affairs has one.
aljoudlootah.com

Culture club

There’s something symbiotic about the crisp lines of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal’s white kandura (ROBE) and the minimalist architecture of Concrete, a high-ceilinged warehouse designed by Rem Koolhaas’s OMA that occupies a central space in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue. Concrete is one of a series of warehouses – some original, some built later – in this former industrial complex that has become a beacon for the creative industries in the UAE, spearheaded by its founder. But Alserkal, who has an infectious laugh that echoes around Concrete’s interior, is quick to credit his staff. “We share the same spirit,” he says. “These are not my team; they are my family. We are creative, we think outside the box and we might be slightly on the crazy side.”

Alserkal says that his earliest memories were of escaping into different worlds as he leafed through the pages of books filled with paintings by the Old Masters. A combination of passion and opportunity led the arts patron and businessman to open Alserkal Avenue in 2008. Located on the site of an old marble factory in the Al Quoz neighbourhood, it’s flanked by dusty streets populated by a network of workshops, garages and poorly signposted businesses. Alserkal set about transforming the area, welcoming galleries, institutions and foundations. Nowadays the Avenue is often buzzing with festivals, music performances or outdoor film screenings in the winter months when temperatures allow.

The space continues to evolve as businesses, from architecture firms to cafés, move in. The family also established the philanthropic Alserkal Arts Foundation in 2019. But Alserkal is once again keen to point out that nothing would have been possible without the effort of his international team, who hail from everywhere from Egypt to Lithuania. “There was an opportunity to fill a gap,” he says of the Avenue’s beginnings. “But it was the team who shaped the vision and made it what it is today.”

From left to right in the above image:

1.
Vilma Jurkute
Executive Director, Alserkal Initiatives
“The driving force behind Alserkal’s evolution and our unconventional approach for 12 years.”

2.
Saadia Zahid
Project director
“She keeps us all on time and within budget. Not all heroes wear capes.”

3.
Gilda Gilantash
Director of events, programming and partnerships
“With 17 years of experience, our events are iconic because of her.”

4.
Nada Raza
Director, Alserkal Arts Foundation
“An alternative-learning advocate and defender of the artists’ perspective.”

5.
Sandy Zavzavadjian
Head of brand and design
“A creative force: from redefining our brand to designing her own jewellery.”

6.
Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal
Founder, Alserkal Initiatives
Bin Eisa Alserkal founded Alserkal Initiatives in 2007, a year before the Avenue opened, and he has been helping transform the cultural landscape of the UAE ever since.
“To have the opportunity to be part of the cultural legacy of my home city is a blessing,” he says.

7.
Caroline White
Executive assistant
“All activities coming from the executive office start with Caroline.”

8.
Uzma Irtiza
Director, finance and operations
“A full-time financial guru. She’s always the first to arrive and the last to leave.”

9.
Fiza Akram
Director, Alserkal Advisory
“Leading the Alserkal cultural agenda beyond the avenue.”

10.
Basmah El Bittar
Director, community relations
“Makes our community what it is today.”

11. Kevin Jones
Director of strategy
“He has been instrumental in defining our brand, ethos and direction.”

+
Reshma Mehra (not pictured)
Deputy director, Alserkal Initiatives
“She keeps our creative energy high and our engine running day in, day out.”

I wish I’d known

1.
Scott Chambers
Surfing Dubai

What it does:
The Sharjah-born entrepreneur’s watersports company offers rentals, repairs and lessons, from surfing to paddle-boarding, as well as the Single Fin Café.

What he wishes he’d known:
“I was young when we first launched. Starting a surfing company in the desert was uncharted territory. The idea of betting the kitchen sink on it and trying things that might not work was intimidating in the early years. I didn’t realise that there would be failures along the way and, out of the 50 things that I would try, only one or two might really stick. Be bold enough to follow through.”
surfingdubai.com

2.
Jane Harvey
Savii

What it does:
Scottish-born Harvey has co-founded a financial platform – a banking app and card – for young people over 13 years of age across the Mena region.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Focus on the customers. Satisfaction from consumers should always be at the core of a business. Continue to gather feedback, both good and bad, adapt and pivot the product to people’s needs and go above and beyond when it comes to service. Fall in love with your customers, not the product. If they’re happy, they will become your biggest advocates.”
saviibanking.com

3.
Hussain Moloobhoy
Sole

What it does:
Sole is a live entertainment and media platform that connects commerce and culture. It started as a blog by three friends but is now the region’s foremost experiential, brand-building company.

What he wishes he’d known:
“Don’t sacrifice parts of your life for success. Too often, entrepreneurs focus on their careers and wealth but striking a balance is key.”
sole.digital

4.
Alamira Noor Bani Hashim
The Dinner Club by No57

What it does:
With her business partner, Buthaina Al Mazrui, Abu Dhabi-born entrepreneur Hashim founded a brand hosting supper clubs in 2012; they also run a café.

What she wishes she’d known:
“I was daring. We never took no for an answer and truly believed that anything was possible. However, having the right team is one of the most important aspects of any business.”
no57.co

5.
Mark Chahwan
Sarwa

What it does:
The Lebanese-Canadian analyst co-founded a financial platform that allows you to trade, save and invest all in one place.

What he wishes he’d known:
“It’s important to keep things simple as you grow, as fintech is still a complex area to navigate. There are many things that are still being developed and this can create a lot of admin. Ideally you would have one company to serve the same market.”
sarwa.co

6.
Div Turakhia
Media.net

What it does:
Mumbai-raised entrepreneur Turakhia is a UAE-based investor behind several companies including Media.net, from which he stepped down as CEO in 2019. Under his watch, he built Media.net to be one of the world’s largest online advertising businesses. It was sold in 2016 for $900m (€858m).

What he wishes he’d known:
“A great idea works well in a film but in real life it’s never the main thing: it’s basically about how to operate more efficiently and make something better, rather than the thing itself. It’s the many little things that you do every day, not the one turning point. Keep moving the ship forward and you learn more from it; this allows you to create more value. That’s what makes the difference.

People who are around you might have your best interests at heart but you must also consider that the things that they’re saying come from their own personal experience and might or might not apply to you. Every business that I’ve run fails every day until it doesn’t. When you start out, there are many things that work and many that don’t. It’s never about something super strategic; it’s a lot of things that you need to put in place. Eventually, with time, the compounding effect creates significant value.

Every country has an advantage. As an entrepreneur you have to identify the advantages that you need to run your business. In the UAE, we can get high-quality talent from around the world who understand how to build something in this geography. The UAE is like a start-up and it knows that it’s young compared to other countries. That means being nimble to change and open to feedback. It’s looking for things to replicate from around the world; you have to iterate and see where it goes.”
media.net

7.
Jay Sadiq
FortyGuard

What it does:
Founded by Sadiq in 2020 in Abu Dhabi, FortyGuard is a technology start-up that uses AI to provide detailed outdoor-temperature insights to help reduce street-level heat.

What he wishes he’d known:
“I wish that I had been forewarned about the emotional roller-coaster ride of entrepreneurship. The highs are exciting but the lows can be equally profound. It’s essential to build a robust support system and always remember the ‘why’ behind your venture. That becomes really important during challenging times.”
fortyguard.com

8.
Hind Al Mulla
Home Bakery

What it does:
The Emirati owner and director is behind Dubai’s Home Bakery, a venue with a focus on local ingredients. Al Mulla recently added to the stable with café Home Bakery Kitchen, opening in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Keep going because it gets easier. At one point I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel because I was taking on more than I could handle. But we made it in the end.”
homebakery.ae

9.
Ammar Kalor
Kalo

What it does:
Kalo is a designer and architect. His eponymous firm focuses on the relationship between digital technology and traditional craft. He is also a faculty member of the American University of Sharjah.

What he wishes he’d known:
“Start small. Why? Because having a narrow focus forces entrepreneurs to really dig into what makes their business special and introduce its most fundamental essence in its first offerings, whether it’s a service or product.”
ammarkalo.com

10.
Izu Ani
YSeventy7

What it does:
Nigeria-born, Dubai-based Ani, known as “Chef Izu”, is a household name, having been head chef at restaurants such as La Petite Maison and La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie. He has set up several restaurants, including Fika, and is the founder of YSeventy7, a consultancy specialising in F&B.

What he wishes he’d known:
“We can’t pour from an empty cup. It’s so important to make time for yourself, hit the reset button and clear your mind. I cycle every morning; my time on the bike is my meditation and it sets me up for the day.”
yseventy7.com

11.
Murshed Mohamed Ahmed
Drivu

What it does:
Ahmed is the co-founder of a company whose technology helps restaurants and coffee shops to have a drive-through facility. It currently works with about 1,000 other businesses around the UAE.

What he wishes he’d known:
“Observing market changes is vital. For example, between about 2010 and 2014 there was a big movement towards smartphones and this led to a lot of behavioural changes. Observing these market changes and then taking the necessary steps will make or break you.”
drivu.co

12.
Anna Seaman
Morrow Collective

What it does: Seaman, originally from the UK, is the co-founder of Morrow Collective, an art consultancy founded in 2021 specialising in NFTs.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Make sure that you are set up to handle growth. It sounds odd but if you grow too quickly, it’s as hard as if you don’t grow at all. This is a country where circumstances can change rapidly – like everything else.”
morrow-collective.com

13.
Yasmin Atassi
Green Art Gallery

What it does: Atassi is the director of Green Art Gallery, one of the first galleries in the UAE, which launched in Dubai in 1995. Atassi has been at the helm since the venue relaunched as a contemporary art gallery on Alserkal Avenue in 2010.

What she wishes she’d known: “You need to have some kind of vision and play the long game. You can create the content that you want and people will eventually follow, whether that’s through sales or artists joining the gallery.”
gagallery.com

14.
Rachael Brown
Capsule Arts

What it does:
Brown is the co-founder and creative director of Dubai-based arts consultancy Capsule Arts. Established in 2012, the consultancy specialises in designing and producing art and accessory packages for commercial design projects. With a team of more than 30, Capsule Arts also works in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait and as far afield as the Seychelles and Uganda.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Try to do yourself out of a job. What I mean is: you need to become a business owner rather than simply someone who has a job in your own business. About four or five years into establishing Capsule Arts, we started to have that change of mindset; if the business requires you to be there on a day-to-day basis, you have a job and not a business. It’s important from day one to have that in your strategy. How do I replace myself so I can focus on the business?

If you are going to have an investor, make sure that you’re aligned on things beyond finances. What does that investor do for you beyond just putting up some capital? How will they propel you or help you grow? We had a business partner and bought them out early on and wished that there had been more synergy.

HR is one of the big challenges. What we do is so niche and there are no issues hiring fresh-to-the-table graduates, but bringing someone in who has leadership experience is harder. You need to be constantly hiring and looking for the right people. You might suddenly land two projects and have to double the size of your team.”
capsulearts.com

15.
Adam Ridgeway
One Moto

What it does:
Pioneers two-wheeled electric vehicles in the GCC region. Ridgeway, the CEO, has helped to raise $190m (€181m) in asset financing and launched numerous model types along the way. After initially being founded in the UK, it officially launched in the UAE in 2020.

What he wishes he’d known:
“It was a long road from setting up my first company at 16 and establishing my company in the UAE aged 28. If you find something that you love, give it as much as you can for as long as possible and that will lead to success. Being an entrepreneur is a spirit – you need tenacity, self-confidence and a bit of ego in the early years.”
one-moto.com

16.
Stasha Toncev
21grams

What it does:
Toncev, who has a background in marketing, hospitality and events, started contemporary Balkan restaurant 21grams, which opened in Dubai in 2018.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Stay true to your values and purpose. Remember that you don’t have to do everything by yourself. It’s perfectly alright to lean on others when you need it. As founder, it’s only natural to want to oversee every aspect of your business. But building close ties with your team and community, whether it’s through delegation or simply reaching out for assistance, not only lightens your workload but also nurtures a more collaborative and thriving environment.”
21grams.me

17.
Grace Hauser
Oda Concepts

What it does:
Hauser is the founder of Oda Concepts, a boutique creative consultancy with a global reach. She has also been director of Dubai’s XVA Gallery and Hotel since 2020.

What she wishes she’d known:
“Slow and progressive growth is really important. Don’t get overly zealous with plans and ambitions. You always need to keep your eyes on where you want to go and work towards what that initial goal was – even though things can of course change.”
odaconcepts.com

18.
Ladi Delano
Moove Africa

What it does:
Co-founder and CEO Delano oversees a company that provides vehicle financing to ride-hailing drivers in sub-Saharan Africa. He lives in the UAE.

What he wishes he’d known:
“Start-up founders have the ability to visualise something that doesn’t exist today. If you go into a room and say, ‘This is my vision,’ 90 per cent of people will tell you that they don’t see it and won’t end up supporting you. So being able to continue to push on and believe in your ideas is a powerful force.”
moove.io

19.
Mohamad Orfali
Orfali Bros

What it does:
Orfali, originally from Aleppo, is the chef behind Orfali Bros restaurant, an establishment that has won numerous accolades and regularly appears in “best of” lists. He founded the restaurant with his two brothers, Wassim and Omar.

What he wishes he’d known:
“Dubai is not an easy city; competition in the F&B space is very high and there are at least 20,000 restaurants here. So start with the right concept that fits the market and blends well.”
orfalibros.com

20.
Ahmad AlMuhassin
Villa Aumédan

What it does:
Villa Aumédan is a concept shop featuring art, emerging regional design, flowers and coffee. Ahmad AlMuhassin is its founder and creative director and his sister Noura is managing director.

What he wishes he’d known:
“I wish I had been more aware of the abundant opportunities available to local entrepreneurs in the UAE. From financial support and tailored strategy plans to expertly crafted business plans and marketing assistance, the ecosystem here is brimming with resources.”

Notice boards

Sheikh Zayed Road is the Dubai stretch of the E11, the UAE’s longest motorway, which stretches from the Saudi Arabian border all the way to Oman’s Musandam peninsula. It is also a rather large advertising opportunity that is constantly pulsing with traffic, as people commute back and forth between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Every big-name advertiser worth its salt wants a presence here – if it can afford it. “It’s the most important road in the Middle East,” says Smitta Ozha, CEO of Dubai-based outdoor advertising company Media247. “There are 600,000 to 700,000 cars a day on it.”

While online advertising is the industry’s largest segment in the region, its outdoor equivalent remains a hard-to-ignore component when it comes to capturing people’s attention when phones are away. According to a 2022 report by Ipsos, about 22 per cent of the UAE’s total advertising spend goes on outdoor spots. Drive along busy roads and you’ll notice giant hoardings announcing the latest mobile-phone packages or fast-food deals; there are giant images of “sneakers like no others” and alluring renderings of properties with ad copy promising that you too could “wake up to this view every day”. It’s simple stuff but that’s deliberate. “You just need five seconds to deliver the message and the rest can go on digital,” says Joe Lahham, managing director of Dubai-based agency TBWARAAD. “You just want to entice the conversation.”

That’s not to say that there isn’t any innovation in the realm of outdoor advertising. Brands are becoming increasingly creative with the format, making use of building wraps and even taxis (Media247 offers ad space on 4,500 Dubai taxis), alongside giant hoardings and smaller unipole billboards. Digital outdoor screens are also getting smarter in engaging audiences (as well as gauging their reactions and interactions), employing tools such as QR codes. Given that it is an easy medium to tweak, digital allows advertisers to move into what Lahham rather ominously refers to as “specific targeting and geofencing”. In other words, a message can be adapted to suit the interests of different communities or neighbourhoods, with one for, say, Deira and another for Al Ain.

Probably the UAE’s most cutting-edge outdoor advertising campaign in recent years was led by TBWARAAD, not long after the Louvre Abu Dhabi was inaugurated in 2017. The museum wanted to raise awareness and increase footfall in a part of the world where attendance at such institutions is far from a given. “We said, ‘What if, on the highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where a gazillion trips happen daily, we could increase awareness, educate people and bring the museum to them while they are driving?’” says Lahham. Motorway billboards showed images of key pieces from the museum’s permanent collection and drivers were asked to tune in to an FM frequency that would give a commentary on every artwork, organised in such a way that it would change as each motorist reached a new billboard. Now that’s what we call driving the conversation.