How an Indian expat built a UAE tech firm with Dh350 borrowed from his mother

Anas Abdul Latheef, founder of UAE-based tech firm Hash Include, says a Dh350 loan from his mother in 2014 helped him win his first chance to bid for a government contract and set the company on a path of steady growth. Latheef returned to Dubai in 2008 without a business network or financial backing, worked as a software engineer across industries, and used that experience to build credibility and trust that eventually enabled Hash Include to compete against larger players.

"Looking back, that Dh350 was probably the best investment my mother ever made," Latheef said, recalling the moment he borrowed the money to buy an official tender document that otherwise would have kept his fledgling firm out of the running.

From a small loan to a culture of delivery

Latheef’s story traces a familiar expatriate arc: arriving with ambition, starting over, and earning trust through execution. After moving back to Dubai in 2008, he spent his early years as a software engineer. A defining moment came while working on a project for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, where his team developed an event platform under an almost impossible one-week deadline. "There is no room for excuses in those environments. You either deliver or you do not," he recalled — a lesson that has shaped both his personal approach and Hash Include’s operating ethos.

The Dh350 episode encapsulates more than a financial transaction; it represents the interplay of family support and opportunity. Latheef needed the funds specifically to buy an official tender document for a government project — a prerequisite to participate in the procurement process. That small outlay enabled Hash Include to enter a competitive space and begin building the track record required to win clients and larger contracts.

• Returned to Dubai in 2008 after studying and spending parts of his childhood in the UAE.
• Borrowed Dh350 from his mother in 2014 to purchase a government tender document.
• Worked on a rapid-delivery project for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, delivering an event platform within a week.
• Built Hash Include into a company able to compete with larger, more established firms by earning trust over years of consistent delivery.

Latheef stresses that technical skill alone was not sufficient; communicating value and building relationships were critical challenges he had to overcome. "I came from a technical background rather than a sales background, so I had to learn how to communicate value and build strong business relationships," he said. That emphasis on people extends beyond clients — Latheef says he is motivated by talent and dedication, and he mentors students and young entrepreneurs quietly, preferring to keep those efforts "small and personal."

Outlook

Today Hash Include stands as the cumulative result of years of consistent execution and incremental trust-building. For Latheef, the Dh350 moment has remained symbolic: the loan was repaid, but the lesson endures that meaningful opportunities often begin with small acts of faith and the chance to prove oneself. "Technology is ultimately about people, not systems," he said, underscoring his belief that supporting talent and earning trust will continue to guide the firm’s next phase of growth.