How a Ukrainian expat reinvented herself in the UAE: From cabin crew to creative entrepreneur in Dubai

Viktoriia Rieva, a Ukrainian expat and founder of Saltborn Creative, has rebuilt her career in Dubai after a decade-plus stint as cabin crew with flydubai was interrupted by furlough in 2020. Arriving in the UAE in 2012 and holding a bachelor’s diploma in graphic design, Rieva turned a sudden aviation setback into a dual professional path, balancing flying with a growing design practice that serves small and medium enterprises across the city.

“The very same day I received the news, I met a friend in a similar situation and we started brainstorming what we could do,” Rieva recalled about her furlough and career pivot. “The natural instinct was to get back to designing as I hold a bachelor’s diploma in graphic design.”

Rieva’s trajectory illustrates how professional reinvention in the UAE can emerge from a mix of crisis, community and creativity. After moving to the Emirates in 2012 and initially working in hospitality in Ras Al Khaimah, she joined flydubai and spent more than a decade as cabin crew. When the pandemic-era downturn hit aviation, she leveraged personal savings and prior training to relaunch herself as a freelance graphic designer.

• Founder: Viktoriia Rieva — Saltborn Creative
• Previous employer: flydubai — cabin crew for more than a decade
• Arrived in UAE: 2012; time in UAE: 14 years
• Education: bachelor’s diploma in graphic design
• Volunteer work: applied to volunteer with Mawaheb from Beautiful People Dubai

Rieva described building a client process “rooted in intentionality, communication, and genuine human relationships,” noting that many clients return for repeat work. She emphasized that the UAE’s international professional landscape rewarded both skill and relationship-building: “In a city built on international communities, I have believed that relationships often matter as much as skill.”

Even after resuming aviation roles, Rieva maintained her design practice rather than choose between the two fields. She said the decision was practical and priority-driven, allowing her to support SMEs in Dubai while keeping a stable income from flying. “So many colleagues of mine are having businesses on the side and I think it’s great that the UAE is open to this kind of diversity,” she said. “My story is a reflection of what is possible if you constantly challenge yourself and don’t stay in your comfort zone.”

Beyond paid work, Rieva has offered complimentary typography sessions to business owners and shared branding advice, actions that grew out of watching small businesses struggle during economic shocks. “By doing that I realised that small businesses are so vulnerable when hits like this blow,” she said. More recently, during a slower summer period, she applied to volunteer with Mawaheb from Beautiful People Dubai, an initiative that supports artistic expression for people of determination.

Outlook

Rieva views her dual career as continuity rather than conflict: lessons from aviation—composure under pressure and people focus—complement the visual communication skills from design. After 14 years in the UAE, she says the experience of living in a diverse environment reshaped her identity and professional outlook. “I learned how important it is to maintain relationships and think outside the box in terms of collaboration,” she said. “I think my story is another reminder that we can become anyone we want at any stage in our lives if we set our minds towards it.”