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

Emirati founders are turning personal passions into businesses across apparel, hospitality, luxury goods and education technology. Among them: 24‑year‑old Mariam Hasan Almujaini who launched coastal apparel label Alyaam; Alaunood Obaid Al‑Ali, founder of limited‑edition luxury watch brand Luxches; sisters Ghaya and Roudha Albastaki behind Ghaya Cafe; cousins Ali Talal Al Khoori, Khalifa Khalil Al Khoori and Khalid Mohammed Mulla of KZNZ Cafe; and 21‑year‑old Mohamad Al Khoori, creator of AI study platform Stubbly. Each venture began as a lived interest — from the sea to watch collecting and student study pain points — and evolved into small businesses with growing customer bases.

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

These entrepreneurs emphasise authenticity and community as the core drivers of early traction. Alyaam was born out of Mariam’s lifelong connection to maritime heritage; what began as a passion project expanded when customers began returning and ordering beyond her immediate circle. Alyaam positions itself as an Emirati apparel and lifestyle brand rooted in coastal traditions and aims to work with local Emirati talent. Find Alyaam on Instagram: @al.yaam.

Luxches stems from Alaunood Obaid Al‑Ali’s long interest in collector culture and luxury watch narratives. “I’ve always been passionate about luxury watches and the stories behind them,” Alaunood said, explaining the decision to focus on limited‑run timepieces rather than mass‑market models. Luxches produces small‑quantity, exclusive designs targeted at collectors seeking uniqueness. Find Luxches on Instagram: @luxches_ae.

In food and beverage, several Emirati founders translated personal experiments into public offerings. Ghaya Albastaki, who developed a matcha recipe after trying the drink in London, launched Ghaya Cafe first as a home drive‑thru and then expanded into catering, pop‑ups and a recognized 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. The cafe is available on Instagram: @ghaya.cafe.

KZNZ Cafe was launched by three cousins — Ali Talal Al Khoori (24), Khalifa Khalil Al Khoori (23) and Khalid Mohammed Mulla (22) — who translated years of studying coffee sourcing, roasting and brewing into a brand focused on quality and hospitality. “After our second event, we realised people genuinely connected with what we were doing,” the founders said. KZNZ highlights its respect for coffee and attention to ingredients. Instagram: @kznz.cafe.

On the tech side, Mohamad Al Khoori created Stubbly to address fragmented study workflows. The AI‑powered platform bundles notes, flashcards, quizzes, planning and research into one service and has passed an early adoption milestone: more than 3,000 users. “The turning point came when Stubbly surpassed 3,000 users,” he said, citing user engagement with quizzes, summaries and AI‑assisted study plans. Instagram: @stubbly.ai.

Outlook

These founders illustrate a pattern of niche, community‑focused entrepreneurship: identifying a personal need or cultural gap, testing ideas in small‑scale formats, and scaling only after repeat customer interest. While each business faces different market challenges — maintaining identity in trend‑driven sectors, producing truly exclusive luxury products, or scaling AI‑driven edtech — their early traction suggests demand for locally rooted brands that combine cultural authenticity with clear product differentiation.

• Alyaam — coastal apparel (Instagram: @al.yaam)
• Luxches — limited‑edition luxury watches (Instagram: @luxches_ae)
• Ghaya Cafe — matcha‑inspired café and catering (Instagram: @ghaya.cafe)
• KZNZ Cafe — Abu Dhabi coffee brand (Instagram: @kznz.cafe)
• Stubbly — AI study platform (Instagram: @stubbly.ai)