Mistakes nearly shut down The Giving Movement before it found its footing, says CEO

Dubai: The Giving Movement’s rise was far from smooth, and there were moments when the brand was close to shutting down altogether, according to its CEO, Rania Masri El Khatib.

Speaking during a fireside chat at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, El Khatib said the early years were marked by heavy cash burn and decisions that pushed the business to its limits.

“It went through extremely difficult times,” she said. “There were moments when it wasn’t going to exist anymore. There were wrong decisions taken.” Those experiences, she said, have shaped how the brand now thinks about growth.

One of the biggest lessons came from trying to expand too quickly outside the region.

“One of the mistakes we made was saying, let’s go to the US,” El Khatib said. “But did you really own your turf yet?”

That question now supports the company’s direction. While The Giving Movement was born in Dubai, the immediate focus is on building strength across the wider region before looking further afield.

“We want to be the leading Arab lifestyle brand,” she said. “Strong in the whole region, not just the UAE.”

South Asia, she added, remains a natural neighbouring market, though expansion there will follow once the brand is firmly established closer to home.

Why being homegrown now works

El Khatib said consumer behaviour has shifted in favour of brands that feel rooted in culture and community, giving regional players a clear edge.

“People care about culture and relevance,” she said. “No international brand can compete with us on our own turf when it comes to understanding the diversity of this region.”

Her view is shaped by years spent working with international brands entering the Middle East, many of which struggled to localise beyond surface-level changes.

A brand that already had pull

What surprised her most after stepping into the role was the strength of the brand’s following.

“I realised how strong the brand equity was,” she said. “That excited me.”

The Giving Movement launched in 2020 and gained traction quickly during the pandemic, becoming widely worn and talked about across the UAE. Celebrity visibility followed, reinforcing its position as one of the region’s most recognisable homegrown fashion brands.

“For the first time, we could say this has the potential to become a real brand, not just a designer label,” she said.

Why the UAE matters

She described the UAE as a rare environment for entrepreneurs, pointing to institutional support and a culture that encourages experimentation.

“When we started, government entities reached out and asked how they could support,” she said.

That backing, combined with the country’s growing influence in culture, sport and music, makes this a moment worth leaning into.

“This is the best time to build from here,” she said.