How this Emirati is turning culture into community impact

Dubai: For Emirati entrepreneur Mohammed Kazim, business is about far more than selling products. It is about creating opportunities, preserving cultural identity, and building a community that grows together. 

Kazim, co-founder of the Arabian sandal brand Tamashee, believes that consumers have a direct impact on people behind the scenes, from factory workers to families connected to the wider ecosystem supporting the business.

“When people use our products and the demand increases, that means we produce more. Our factories have jobs, which means that it secures jobs for people and income,” Kazim told Gulf News.

The same applies to the services and collaborations connected to the company’s experiences and initiatives.

“The families that support us with the services, they do the same. They get the ability to continue getting salaries and getting income because of the fact that people are continuing to do their part.”

Community is the most important thing

Kazim has noted that strong community support is essential for homegrown brands to survive in today’s competitive global market and amid unexpected circumstances.

“Community is the most important thing to come together to support, to make sure there is continuity and longevity of the business,” shared Kazim. 

According to him, even businesses with strong values and creative ideas can struggle if they are not financially sustainable.

“Sometimes you can be an amazing brand with amazing principles, values, designs, but if you don't have the financial feasibility for it, you go out of existence.”

For him, sustainability means ensuring that businesses can continue creating impact over time while supporting the people connected to them. 

Culture as a competitive advantage

Moreover, Kazim has seen cultural identity as a major strength for regional businesses looking to stand out internationally.

“Identity and culture, for me, are competitive advantage features that are necessary to differentiate our offering in a very globalised world,” explained Kazim.

The company’s works reflect this approach through designs inspired by regional heritage and craftsmanship. Developed through cultural research across the Arabian Peninsula, its collections reinterpret the Emirati khanjar through contemporary design elements rather than direct replication.

In addition, it has displayed the layered craftsmanship historically involved in creating the khanjar, where blacksmiths, silversmiths, leather artisans, woodworkers, and weavers all contributed to a single object.

Representing Khaleeji culture positively has become really important, particularly during times when regional narratives are often formed by negative headlines internationally.

“What's important, looking ahead, is that we can do our social values, which is preserving identity and representing our culture in a positive manner to the world, especially at a time when the media has been negative.”

Eid season drives new ideas

Meanwhile, the Eid season has remained one of the most substantial periods for the business, both commercially and culturally.

“It's a season of wearing new clothes and new items. So that itself, for us, is the incentive to create new designs,” said Kazim.

In previous years, the business has also launched campaigns encouraging people to buy gifts for others during Eid, using incentives and discounts to promote giving within the community.

Building an ecosystem together

Meanwhile, Kazim has bared that his focus is not just on business growth, but on creating opportunities for others through collaboration and shared success.

“I think it’s very important to build the entire infrastructure together and not compete for the sake of just competing. Build the ecosystem together and allow others to grow with us,” exclaimed Kazim. 

Community-driven businesses are becoming a defining force in molding the UAE’s creative and cultural economy, proving that even in challenging times, unity, resilience, and local innovation can drive lasting impact.