Meet the Emiratis building their own brand: From coffee startups to luxury watch businesses in the UAE

As Emiratis continue to carve out their place in the UAE’s growing entrepreneurial landscape, many are building businesses rooted in personal passions, cultural identity and niche interests. From apparel inspired by the country’s maritime heritage to luxury watches designed around exclusivity, cafés born from personal creativity and educational technology developed by students, local founders are proving that successful businesses often begin with a genuine connection to an idea.

For 24-year-old Emirati entrepreneur Mariam Hasan Almujaini, the inspiration behind Alyaam came from a lifelong connection to the sea and the UAE’s fishing culture. Alyaam is an Emirati apparel and lifestyle brand that draws inspiration from the country’s maritime heritage, coastal traditions and way of life.

“Growing up, I was always drawn to the ocean and appreciated how much of our culture and traditions are connected to it. I noticed there were very few local clothing brands that represented this side of Emirati identity in a modern and stylish way,” said Maryam in an interview with Gulf News over the phone.

What began as a passion project gradually evolved into a business as customers connected with the brand’s message and designs. One of her priorities was ensuring Alyaam remained deeply connected to the local community, including working with Emirati talent wherever possible.

“The turning point was when I started receiving orders from people outside my immediate circle and saw customers returning to purchase from us again and again. Building a loyal customer base showed me that people genuinely connected with the brand and its message,” she said.

Find Alyaam on Instagram: @al.yaam

For Emirati entrepreneur Alaunood Obaid Al-Ali, a passion for luxury watches became the foundation of Luxches, an Emirati luxury watch brand specialising in limited-edition timepieces designed for collectors and enthusiasts looking for something unique.

“I’ve always been passionate about luxury watches and the stories behind them. As a collector and enthusiast, I noticed that many people wanted something unique rather than owning the same watch as everyone else,” Alaunood told Gulf News over the phone.

The idea grew from years spent learning about watch design, luxury branding and collector culture. Rather than creating mass-market products, Luxches focuses on producing watches in small quantities, offering customers distinctive and exclusive designs.

“A key moment was when people started showing genuine interest in the limited-edition concept. Seeing customers appreciate the exclusivity of the designs and receiving positive feedback gave me confidence that there was a market for what I was creating,” she said.

Find Luxches on Instagram: @luxches_ae

At just 18 years old, Emirati entrepreneur Ghaya Albastaki transformed her passion for coffee into a growing business. Alongside her sister Roudha Albastaki, she founded Ghaya Cafe, a Nad Al Sheba-based café that began with a simple idea and a homemade recipe.

“The inspiration came during a summer trip to London where I tried matcha for the first time. I loved it, but I felt the drink could be improved. When I came back to the UAE, I created my own recipe and shared it with friends and family,” Ghaya said in an interview with Gulf News over the phone.

Instead of waiting to launch a full café, she started with a drive-thru concept from her home. What began as an experiment later expanded into catering services, pop-up events and a recognised local brand.

“Seeing people come back, recommend Ghaya Cafe and enjoy the experience made me realise it had the potential to become something bigger,” she said.

Find Ghaya Cafe on Instagram: @ghaya.cafe

For Emirati cousins Ali Talal Al Khoori, 24, Khalifa Khalil Al Khoori, 23, and Khalid Mohammed Mulla, 22, coffee was always more than just a daily habit. Their shared passion eventually led to the creation of KZNZ Cafe, an Abu Dhabi-based coffee brand built around quality, authenticity and hospitality.

“KZNZ was inspired by the local businesses we used to see at Qasr Al Hosn Festival. We spent years learning about coffee and one day asked ourselves: why keep buying coffee when we could create our own experience and share our knowledge with others?” the founders told Gulf News over the phone.

What started as a hobby evolved into a business after years of learning about sourcing, roasting, brewing and serving coffee. The founders say staying true to their identity has been one of their biggest challenges in a market often driven by trends.

“After our second event, we realised people genuinely connected with what we were doing. Customers appreciated our respect for coffee, our attention to ingredients and our commitment to quality,” they said.

Find KZNZ Cafe on Instagram: @kznz.cafe

For 21-year-old Emirati entrepreneur Mohamad Al Khoori, the inspiration behind Stubbly came from a problem he experienced firsthand as a student. Constantly switching between apps for notes, flashcards, quizzes, planning and research made studying feel fragmented and inefficient.

“Studying often meant switching between multiple tools for notes, flashcards, quizzes, planning and research. We saw an opportunity to bring everything together into one intelligent platform that helps students learn more effectively,” Al Khoori said in an interview with Gulf News over the phone.

Stubbly is an AI-powered learning platform designed to help students study smarter through personalised study plans, AI tutoring, automated quizzes, summaries and flashcards. What began as an attempt to improve the student learning experience evolved into a business after conversations with students and educators revealed the same frustrations were being felt across classrooms and universities.

“The turning point came when Stubbly surpassed 3,000 users. Seeing thousands of students actively using the platform for quizzes, summaries, study plans and AI-assisted learning confirmed that we were solving a real problem,” he said.

Find Stubbly on Instagram: @stubbly.ai

From AI-powered education platforms and homegrown cafés to locally inspired fashion labels and luxury watch brands, Emirati entrepreneurs are finding opportunities in industries that reflect both their interests and their communities. While each founder’s journey is different, their stories highlight a shared willingness to take an idea and turn it into something bigger.

Their journeys reflect a growing wave of Emirati entrepreneurship, where creativity, culture and determination are helping shape the next generation of local brands.