From corporate leadership to the Mahjong table: Hashmat Pereira launches a structured approach to the Mahjong board game

After more than 25 years of leadership experience across global and regional organisations, including Mastercard, Citibank, Mashreq Bank and Samba Financial Group, Hashmat Pereira is bringing her experience in strategy, training, customer engagement and community building to the Mahjong table with the launch of Mahjong Success.

Designed for newcomers and experienced players alike, Mahjong Success provides a pathway from understanding the fundamentals of the game to developing more advanced skills through practical play. The initiative brings together trainer-led instruction, strategy development and guided gameplay, creating an environment in which participants can build confidence and deepen their understanding of Mahjong.

Hashmat, Founder of Mahjong Success, developed the initiative around her belief that Mahjong can be much more than a recreational pastime. Its combination of strategy, decision-making, concentration, adaptability and social interaction provides an engaging environment for personal development while bringing people together.

“Mahjong has always represented much more than simply a game. It brings together strategy, decision-making, concentration, interaction and, importantly, people,” said Hashmat Pereira. “I wanted to create a structured environment where someone picking up Mahjong for the first time could learn with confidence, while experienced players could continue developing their skills. Through Mahjong Success, we want to bring families, friends, professionals and lifelong learners together through the timeless game of Mahjong.”

The training approach goes beyond teaching the basic rules. Participants are introduced to the tiles and their uses, game concepts, hand building, winning combinations, scoring, strategic approaches and gameplay principles. Guided sessions then allow them to put these concepts into practice in real-game situations, with tutor support and feedback helping them refine their understanding as they play.

Mahjong Success also introduces players to different Mahjong traditions. Its programmes cover Traditional Chinese Mahjong, Taiwanese Mahjong, American Mahjong (NMJL), and Western Mahjong, each offering distinct rules, gameplay formats, strategies and scoring systems. This variety allows participants to explore different approaches to the game and broaden their understanding of Mahjong across formats.

The strategic nature of Mahjong also has relevance beyond recreation. A 2024 scoping review of 53 studies examining Mahjong and cognitive, psychological and functional abilities reported associations between Mahjong play and better cognitive outcomes (Tse et al., 2024, The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease), while a 2020 intervention study published in Frontiers in Neurology reported improvements in executive-function measures among older adults with mild cognitive impairment following a 12-week Mahjong programme. These findings add to growing interest in Mahjong as an activity that combines strategic thinking, concentration, decision-making and social interaction.

Beyond instruction, Mahjong Success is building a social dimension around the game through tournaments, events, and informal play. The Mahjong Success Circle provides an avenue for players of different experience levels to meet, play and participate in a growing Mahjong community.

To expand opportunities for people to learn and play Mahjong in social settings across Dubai, Mahjong Success is associating with a network of board-game cafés across the city. These include Hive Boardgame Cafe in The Greens, THE SIX Board Game Cafe in Downtown Dubai and Emaar Beachfront, Tile Board Game Cafe in Jumeirah Heights, Unwind Speciality Boardgame Cafe in Al Barsha, and Dishtrict Cafe in Al Wasl.

These associations provide additional settings for Mahjong activities and give players opportunities to experience the game in established social and gaming environments across the city.

The initiative also extends into corporate and digital learning through The Thinking Table and Tile Talk by Mahjong Success. The Thinking Table uses the strategic elements of Mahjong to create an interactive corporate learning environment focused on critical thinking, decision-making, risk management and team collaboration. Tile Talk, meanwhile, provides short-form Mahjong training, tips and strategy content through its digital platforms on Instagram and YouTube, making guidance and learning resources accessible to Mahjong enthusiasts anywhere in the world.

Mahjong Success caters to a broad audience, including complete beginners, social players, experienced enthusiasts, young adults, working professionals, seniors, families and corporate teams. Private and customised sessions are also available for office activities, corporate events, team-building programmes, networking gatherings, social occasions and community events, with sessions that can be arranged at offices, event venues, homes and other community spaces.

Whether discovering Mahjong for the first time or looking to develop existing skills, players can explore the programmes and opportunities available through Mahjong Success.