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Insight Type: Article

We work with dedication… because we belong to this nation

In 1980, at the age of five, I arrived in the United Arab Emirates with my family. Sharjah became the setting of my childhood and education, from Balqees School to Fatima Al Zahra School, where I completed my secondary studies. My professional path began here as well, when I joined a private school as a teaching assistant. From those early years onward, the UAE became the place where my life took shape.

I built my life in the UAE. I got married here, and my children were born at Al Wasl Hospital. They were raised in this country and speak of it with the ease and certainty of home. Over the years, that sense of home deepened into something larger: a lasting bond with a country that opened its doors, nurtured our aspirations, and gave our family the ground on which to grow.

La tshilon ham

Across the past two decades, the world has moved through one major disruption after another, from the financial crisis of 2008 to the pandemic in 2020 and the pressures that followed. Through each period, the UAE remained a place of safety, order, and public confidence for all who live on its soil. I still remember the comfort carried in the words of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed during the pandemic, “La tshilon ham” For me, those words captured the spirit of leadership in this country. They gave people steadiness, strengthened trust, and made it possible to move through uncertainty with calm and discipline.

What I write today comes from conviction shaped by a lifetime in this country. It reflects my respect for the UAE’s system, its vision, and the political and economic approach that has guided its rise. It also reflects my sense of belonging to a land that gave me a place, a future, and a community in which people from many backgrounds find a shared sense of belonging shaped by dignity, mutual respect, and common purpose.

Land of wisdom, tranquility, and peace

Recently, the country faced an act of aggression that placed everyone living in this peaceful nation under intense pressure. In that moment, the leadership moved with clarity and resolve. Essential needs were secured across society, and public confidence was strengthened through visible presence among the people. Leaders appeared in public spaces, took part in community and international events, and visited the injured, whose wounds came to embody honour. At the same time, the armed forces stood firm in defence of the nation, carrying out their duty with bravery and discipline. The martyrs they gave will remain part of the story of how the UAE safeguarded its land, its skies, its waters, and the dignity of its flag.

At the beginning of the crisis, we were all filled with anticipation, waiting to hear the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, as he addressed his people. His message carried reassurance, pride, and strength. He affirmed that the UAE is strong, that it stands as a model and an example, expressing pride in the nation’s institutions and armed forces, and promising that the country would emerge from these challenges even stronger. His words,“The UAE is a model, but I tell you, do not be misled by what you see; the UAE is strong in its core, and resilient in its fabric”, became a window of hope and comfort for me. They appeared across homes and buildings, reminding everyone that leadership stands with us, and that we live under its protection, and that our role is to continue working with dedication and sincerity.

We work. We serve our nation

From childhood, one phrase took root in me and stayed: we work and we commit. We repeated it every morning at school, and over time it became part of how I understand duty, effort, and belonging. Today, those words live in the way I move through life. They shape the care I bring to my work at Rouya, the regard I hold for the schools and universities that guide my children, and the respect I carry for the places where my husband builds his future. In the UAE, work became one of the clearest expressions of love for the country.

For me, work and commitment mean raising the level of what we give and placing the UAE at the centre of that effort. I saw that meaning most clearly in the smallest moments. Alerts would reach our phones, and we would move to the lower floor of our house with our laptops in hand, continuing our meetings with clients who trusted us. My children saw the same spirit in their universities, where professors carried the responsibility of teaching forward with focus and care. In those days, continuity itself became a form of national service. It expressed our shared determination to protect the rhythm of life and to uphold the peace of this country through action.

Today, the phrase carries even greater depth for me. It calls for sincerity, for care, and for love expressed through effort. Our work remains one way of giving back to a land that has given us dignity, freedom, and a life rich with opportunity.

That is the bond I feel with the UAE. It is a bond renewed through gratitude, strengthened through service, and carried forward through all that we do.

Tamara Al Dabbagh

Tamara’s background in education, combined with her passion for literature, culture, and the arts, has sharpened her translation and storytelling expertise. She leads the content development department, where she crafts compelling content for a diverse range of Rouya clients such as COP28, the UAE Pavilion at Expo, Zayed National Museum, MiZa, and various cultural institutions in the region.

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Ramadan Reset

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Reflections

Insight Type: Article

A reflection on emptiness, burnout, and Ramadan as a sacred reset.

Emptiness, confusion, and a loss of drive. These are very foreign emotions for someone like me, someone usually driven and excited.

As humans, we instinctively search for reasons, and so I found myself discussing this with my close circle. One conversation concluded that I may perhaps need to pay closer attention to my nutrition, movement, and sleep. Another conversation leaned toward burnout, given the extreme ‘usage of me’ on all fronts over the past year. A third conversation ended with a completely different solution: a new haircut and hair colour, which I actually did.

Somewhere between these discussions, questions, and layers of confusion, a reflection from Paulo Coelho’s The Manual of the Warrior of Light kept echoing in my head:

“A warrior of light often loses heart.

He believes that nothing can stir him in the emotion he so desired. He is forced to spend many evenings and nights feeling that he is one of the vanquished, and nothing seems able to restore his enthusiasm.

His friends say, ‘Perhaps his fight is over.’

The warrior feels pain and confusion when he hears such remarks because he knows that he has not yet reached the place he wanted to reach. But he is stubborn and refuses to relinquish his aims.

Then, when he least expects it, a new door opens.”

Paulo Coelho – The Manual of the Warrior of Light

What struck me most was how precisely it describes my state of losing heart. But there exists an opposite–regaining heart. How do I regain heart?

Interestingly, the conversations I mentioned earlier all arrived at the same answer, despite their different starting points: Ramadan. There was an almost unspoken consensus: Ramadan is coming. Ramadan will fix it. Ramadan will reset everything.

With Paulo’s words ringing in my head, I found myself wondering: Is Ramadan that new door? Something about that thought felt deeply right…but why Ramadan? What is it about Ramadan that feels like resolution?

Answers began to surface almost immediately. What emerged was that Ramadan is a mandatory reset button, not only through fasting, but something larger: the rhythm. Over time, we drift and get absorbed into pace, expectations, productivity pressures, technology, and endless stimulation. Gradually and almost invisibly, we shift from being human to functioning like machines. Coffee becomes our fuel for focus. Food becomes our fuel for energy, almost becoming tasteless at times. Connections become fuel for networking and our days become fuel for achievement.

Then Ramadan arrives and quietly dismantles these illusions. The routine is imposed on you, and suddenly decisions reduce, the body slows, awareness sharpens, and you reconnect with something elemental.

“I am hungry. I am thirsty. Yet I continue.” I wake at dawn for Fajr. By Maghrib, we gather to break our fast. We sit at the same table usually forgetting our roles, titles, or agendas, but merely as “hungry humans” sharing Iftar.

So why does Ramadan restore our sense of functionality as humans? Somewhere within that repeating rhythm, I see Time–its older rhythms, its modern structures, its emotional weight. Its fixed, predictable system and its psychological effect on us shows this interconnected relationship between Time, Productivity, and Rhythm, and how they shape our functionality, wellbeing, and continuity.

Within all these threads came a clear decision. Let’s begin to explore Time. Let’s research it deeply and see what it uncovers. Ramadan Mubarak, and happy resetting!

Wellbeing

Marwa Shaker Salama

Marwa is a seasoned research and marketing consultant with over 25 years of experience in market analysis, research, and human development. She leads the research department at Rouya, bringing depth and insight through her strong understanding of human psychology and certification in the field. Marwa has directed key projects such as Eid Al Etihad and the UAE Year Of, delivering culturally grounded, strategy-led research outcomes.

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Eluding the 67%

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Business

Insight Type: Article

Rouya’s Journey and Advice for Startups

Disclaimer:

This is a long read, yet it only scratches the surface of entrepreneurship. We aim to concisely tell the story of our beginnings, the challenges we faced, and what we have learned along the way. We hope to inspire upcoming entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners to start their businesses while knowing some of the challenges they might face.

Introduction
Rouya is truly a wondrous thing. It is the amalgamation of multiple strong energy waves produced from metals pressed over numerous decades. Each one of those metals brings something different to the table.

Of course, it is a business, after all. However, one must understand that businesses are strange—an illusion. The concept of a company was one of the greatest human inventions. An idea that turns into a series of thoughts, discussions, long-night meetings, vision, mission, and strategy. From there, business, marketing, financial, human capital, and legal plans spur like new seedlings. It is hard to remember that all this will be attributed to an imaginary thing; it does not exist, yet one hires a team to manage it, rents a space for it, calls it ‘our company’s office space,’ prints out a logo, and sticks it on the front door.

In that very instance where an individual or a group of people start a business, multiple other individuals and groups have done precisely the same thing. They went through a similar process that got them to the same place—at an office, but with a different logo stuck on the door.

One wonders why people start businesses. From the onset, the odds are stacked against new companies. According to the latest data, up to 90% of startups fail (Deane, 2024). Imagine starting the process that I outlined above and going through months or years of hard work to set up this imaginary brand, conjured up through legal documents called ‘memorandum of association’, ‘business licence’, ‘establishment card’, and ‘operation permit’, knowing that 90% of new businesses fail. To understand the statistics behind the percentages I shared above, here is a simple example:

Let’s say 1,000 newly minted companies received their “business licence” on January 1, 2015. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 20% of those 1,000 newly minted companies will fail within the first 24 months.

Year 1 (2015): A total 100 companies would have closed, leaving 900 surviving.
Year 2 (2016): A total 200 companies would have closed, leaving 800 surviving.
Year 5 (2019): A total 500 companies would have closed, leaving 500 surviving.
Year 10 (2024): A total 670 companies would have closed, leaving 330 surviving.
Year 15 (2029): A total 900 companies would have closed, leaving only 100 surviving.

How delusional one must be to take that leap of faith and believe that she or he will be part of the 20% that do not fail.

This article shares how, in our tenth year, we retrospectively assess what we have done to elude the 67% that failed, the lessons we learned along the way, the wounds and scars we nurse, our principles for success, and our future ambitions.

Eluding The 67%

Eluding failure should not be an objective that is set either from the beginning or at any other point. Rather, it is the culmination of many forces consistently at play: industry-veteran founders, iron-clad determination to get into a new business, high professional and personal reputation, and most importantly, a willingness from everyone to stomp on their ego every day.

First Business Principle

Start a business with an industry veteran

In a traditional business industry like ours, having industry veterans as founders is critical to the initial launch and continued success—the first business principle. Do the founders need to have business acumen from the get-go? Not necessarily. However, founders must learn about the fundamentals of business and how to run their business on the go. The Business Model Generation handbook by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur (2010) played a fundamental role in our understanding of the essential building blocks of business thinking and development.

During the early stages of developing Ila Al Amam (2014 – 2017), founder Maryam Al Dabbagh and I organised workshops at our home and the residence of Zainab Al Dabbagh—Maryam’s cousin who later led our media relations services—to meticulously establish each element of the Business Model Canvas. Ila Al Amam was the precursor to Rouya and played a pivotal role in creating Arabic storytelling and content for organisations across the UAE and the Gulf region.

At this point, other business variables, such as pricing, information presentation, operation management ,and quality service delivery, came into play. Nevertheless, it was never perfect; even though you might attempt to be perfect in delivery, you’ll never achieve it. I say this with all confidence because five years later, when you look at your “perfect” work, at the very least, you will cringe.

Second Business Principle

Businesses require relentless dedication

To put it lightly, we consumed our business, and our business consumed us. Ila Al Amam, renamed Rouya in 2017, became our everything; everyone was laser-focused on getting work done. We would work until burnout, rest for a few days (if lucky), and then return to it again. Let me put it this way: if we, the founders, weren’t sleeping, we would be ‘Rouya’ing’—the second business principle: the necessity of relentless dedication in the early stages of building a company.

Entrepreneurship demands a commitment that consumes nearly every aspect of your life, blurring the lines between personal and professional spheres. Success hinges on your ability to devote every available moment to the growth and stability of the business. It’s not merely about hard work; it’s about total immersion—every decision, action, and thought must align with propelling the business forward. Rest becomes a luxury; even when you step away, your mind remains tethered to the business.

Many, Many Brick Walls

Personal Cash Flow – Living Costs Higher than Income

When we started Ila Al Amam, our living costs were much higher than our business revenue. So, to survive, we had to make a drastic decision: move to an affordable city. Starting a business takes time. By nature, humans are risk-averse and new businesses shout ‘HIGH RISK’ to any manager looking to get the best results her or his money could buy (Blunk, 2024). This is where the first principle comes in handy. As a market veteran, a business can lean on its network for quality of work and execution track-record reputation for the initial business flow; however, if the business isn’t able to pay for one’s personal life, anxiety builds up, turning one’s focus away from the business to making a living.

High Demand – Low Capacity (Low Price, High Quality → Overbooked → Frustrated)

By early-2016, our business had been running for about 6 months, so we decided to expand into a new market: Public Relations Management. A world that I, for one, knew nothing about; however, Maryam had made her start in PR. Following the same first principle, start a business with an industry veteran, we spoke to Yusur Al Dabbagh (as you would have guessed, yes, Maryam’s sister) to join Ila Al Amam and start a public relations ‘department’. Although it was extremely challenging for her to leave the comfort of a steady government job to join what seemed like a tiny hobby-like business, Yusur took a ginormous leap of faith and joined as a third partner in Il Al Amam.

Third Business Principle

Set Yourself a Monthly Salary

At the beginning of the metamorphosis of Ila Al Amam into Rouya, my contribution was to develop proposals, accounting, and the back end of the sales journey (contracts, invoices, and receipts). From the beginning, we ensured that we took a fixed salary from the business and did not treat the business bank account as our current account. Our third business principle: set a salary for yourself and other partners. The salary should cover your basic monthly needs and not exceed 10% of the value you bring in as a partner to the company. This could be split into 5% or lower in terms of a monthly salary, and the rest is taken in the form of profits. You could also measure this in another form, if you were to hire someone to do the things that you are doing, how much would you have to pay them? This gives you an understanding of the average market salary. Now, In most starting and running private companies, salaries are typically much lower than standard government, semi-government, and public companies. Taking salaries should be the go-to tactic to ensure stability within the business cash flow, a structured business bank statement, and a seamless job for the auditors. For me, it meant getting a salary of AED 1,500/month as the co-founder working a part-time job.

For Maryam, things were different; more and more of her business network around her wanted to work with her. She delivered project after project until we realised Ila Al Amam was behind on its new requests and approved scopes of work. There simply weren’t enough hours in the day, and Maryam was the only person with the required skill set to execute those deliverables. When other partners tried to support us in delivering the tasks that only Maryam knew how to do very well, we would receive multiple client complaints. What ensued were many late nights, frustration with work, and burnout.

Multiple business concepts come into play when founders need to assess whether their business is viable. What is the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)? Hopefully, it’s lower than the price we were selling them for. For Ila Al Amam, the entirety of the business infrastructure was already available before we started our business; we used our home, our internet, and our personal computers, so time and effort were the only variables that went into the cost of delivering a page of developed content. There was a gross margin that we used to pay for our lives (in retrospect, we should have expensed our rent and other personal materials we used for business service delivery. However, it was a blessing that we didn’t, as that meant positive cash flow). Net profit wasn’t even on our radar, and given how lean our business structure was, we broke even six months into our business startup.

We found out through managerial accounting that we could use two other business concepts to determine if one line of business is worth all the trouble: Contribution Margin and Opportunity Cost. At this point, we had two lines of business: content development and public relations. Content development requires a sophisticated combination of high language skills, cultural expertise, and high experience within the arts and culture scene. The problem was that clients were unwilling to pay a high premium for what they considered a simple job (it’s not–I’ve tried and failed miserably); however, they would only accept it if it was carried out by a highly experienced consultant (which had high costs and was time-consuming). Understanding the contribution margin and the opportunity cost of delivering the content development service forced us to look for a pricing model that allowed us to break free from the industry standards.

Steering the Ship

Having read the paragraphs above, readers are correct to note that I worked in Rouya full-time. However, the reality of bootstrapping a startup with partners is that some partners will have to maintain side jobs that provide them with consistent monthly pay. Hence, from 2015 to May 2017, I was a CrossFit coach at FitRepublik (a legacy profession from my first business). 2017 is when I finally dedicated my full time to Rouya. At the time, Rouya was working with several small businesses in Sharjah. I jumped into projects, managed government relations, and developed proposals. Our biggest project then was managing communications for the government of Sharjah’s National Day celebrations by the end of 2017.

I was adamant about developing internal systems for project management, human resources, and proposal development. As early as 2015, Ila Al Amam was paperless; we developed all our work through cloud-based softwares that facilitated communication and collaboration.

But first, auditing! We transitioned from Ila Al Amam in Abu Dhabi to Rouya Consultancy in Sharjah. Over 18 months, we accumulated bank statements, receipts, and invoices, and moved them from a rigid accounting system into a user-friendly software. We also created foundational accounting work like developing our chart of accounts, HR standard operating procedure (SOP), and a filing system that allowed us to find documents when needed without asking several people to remember where they were filed.

One thing led to another, and I found myself managing our highest monthly retainer project in the short history of our company. The project was not even within the communications industry, it was with the e-commerce industry. This project led me to the realisation that I needed to upgrade my game. Enter my long-time business idol Jack Welch (RIP). Hello Jack!

Note: My MBA from Jack Welch Management Institute ranked among the top 10 global online MBAs for many consecutive years. It took me three years to complete, and I’m happy to report that I graduated as a Welch Scholar.

What I Learned from My Jack Welch MBA and How My Education Influenced Rouya

Key Learnings from the MBA Program

One of the most impactful lessons I learned from my Jack Welch MBA program was understanding my conflict management personality. This self-awareness was crucial in shaping my approach to handling conflicts within the team. The program also introduced me to some seminal works and concepts that profoundly influenced my thinking:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni taught me the importance of addressing and managing team dysfunctions to
build a cohesive and effective team.
The Well-Timed Management Strategies by Peter Navarro provided strategies such as protecting high-skilled workers during recessions and increasing capital expenditures during downturns to prepare for economic recovery.
Laszlo Bock highlighted the “Wisdom of the Crowd” concept, which emphasises the value of collective intelligence and diverse perspectives in decision-making.
Culture and Performance Management, as Jack Welch practised, highlighted the significance of fostering a robust and performance-oriented company culture.
Developing a five-page strategy using five simple questions streamlined our strategic planning process, making it more focused and actionable.

How These Lessons Changed My Approach to Business Management and Strategy:

Firstly, I realised there is no magic formula for managing a business. Publications and authors often suggest that becoming a CEO is reserved for an elite few, but that’s not true. Managing a company effectively involves gaining work experience, continuously applying oneself, and maintaining a passion for business, its industry, and the possibilities for the future. Furthermore, there are many business strategies, frameworks, tools, formulas, and models that CEOs and their executive teams use at larger corporations. It is challenging to try to apply that basket within a small business, but as long as leaders engage in continuous learning and development and listen to the people around them, they can become great leaders.

As many MBA students can confirm, we spend 18 to 24 months exploring key concepts within many industries, ranging from leadership and executive presence to marketing, supply chain and operations, information technology, and entrepreneurship.

Some of these critical concepts immediately impacted our micro company. One critical aspect was raising constructive conflict by voicing opinions and applying intuition to situations at work. Keeping concerns pent up and discussing them only behind the scenes as a manager creates a toxic environment. Honesty and candour in giving feedback are essential for maintaining a healthy and productive work culture. Expecting the highest quality from the team, showing them the ropes, and being candid with feedback fosters a culture of excellence.

Application of Learnings to Rouya

My experience with the MBA program significantly helped instill a culture of continuous learning. And just as Peter Navarro argued, well-timed strategies and tactics were pivotal for us. For instance, protecting a high-skilled workforce during recessions, cherry-picking talent from the pool, or increasing capital expenditures during recessions to develop innovative products and new capacities in time for recovery were key tactics that helped us grow our business by 500% on key metrics over the past four years.

Other learnings were applied in various ways at Rouya. For instance, we implemented strategies to manage conflicts constructively, which helped maintain a healthy team dynamic and fostered a culture of transparency and accountability.

A Decade Later, Where We Go from Here

Current Status of Rouya

Rouya is now positioned as a regional leader in strategic storytelling and communications in both Arabic and English. We have successfully delivered critical national and international projects in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. From starting in our living room and a team of two, Rouya now operates from a combined space of 3000 sq ft office (versus our 200 sq ft we started with), employs over 25 brilliant full-time team members*, collaborates with several highly-qualified contractors, and leverages state-of-the-art hardware and software. We have fully deployed project management solutions, ensuring 100% employee utilisation since 2019.

Recently, we launched new digital communication services, a new website, a blog, and a developing podcast, among other exciting products and services. In 2024, we also launched our research department, successfully executing multiple quantitative and qualitative research sprints for our clients.

Future Goals and Vision

Rouya’s vision is to direct and own our story. Our mission is to embody ihsan in everything that we do with a purpose of unearthing inherited practices to understand, communicate and advance national narratives. We strive to facilitate an environment that permits the best people to do their best work through human-centric work policies, competitive pay, and exciting and impactful project opportunities.

Advice for Upcoming Entrepreneurs

Based on our journey, I advise aspiring entrepreneurs to stay passionate and committed to continuous learning and development. Focus from the outset on building a solid team, foster a transparent and collaborative culture, and be comfortable with raising constructive conflict. Understand that there is no magic formula to success; it’s about gaining experience, applying oneself, and continuously adapting to changing circumstances. With resilience, division of labor, and keeping one’s ego at bay, you can navigate the mighty obstacles you will face, and drive meaningful progress toward your business objectives.

Furthermore, what makes the biggest difference to how long you can survive as a business is how lean you are. Keep your expenses as low as possible. For example, rather than hiring an accountant, outsource to a credible accounting firm; rather than buying new office furniture, find used furniture. Only make expensive decisions if they have business returns. Moreover, be lean with your time; if you can work from home, then do that, or rent an office close by.

Lastly, mistakes are a critical component of entrepreneurship. Design around experimentation, trial and error, and not being perfect. Entrepreneurship is in and of itself a learning and development journey. If you fall in the 67% the first time, you’re more likely to elude it the second time, or the third or fourth. If you don’t give up, the market will reward you with success. You will eventually make it!

References:

Deane, M. T. (2024). Top 6 Reasons New Businesses Fail. Investopedia Online Article. Link
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business Model Generation. John Wiley & Sons.
Blunk, A. Concepts & Biases: Risk Aversion – Everything You Need To Know. Published on Inside BE. Link
Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Jossey-Bass.
Navarro, P. (2009). The Well-Timed Strategy: Managing the Business Cycle for Competitive Advantage. Pearson Education.
Bock, L. (2015). Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead. Twelve.
Welch, J., & Welch, S. (2005). Winning. Harper Business.

*At the time of publishing

AbdulRahman Salem

AbdulRahman is a finance and operations strategist with experience across private and public sectors, supporting business growth, institutional development, and performance optimisation. At Rouya, his work encompasses financial resilience, legal compliance, government relations, and operational scalability to drive long-term business sustainability.

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Reflections

Insight Type: Article

Decoding "Consultancy Speak"

Dina Rashid and Skander Ben Ahmed are part of the Rouya Storytelling department and think about language and words daily. As people who had not worked in a consultancy before, they realised that there were many terms and phrases around them that they had never heard before. So, they decided to make a list and have a candid conversation about language, influence, and their personal experiences.

Dina Rashid: Okay, so just for the record, you and I have been making a list of terms or phrases that we’ve heard being used by our colleagues and peers, which we’ve called “consultancy speak”, and we’ve decided that we should sit and have a thoughtful conversation about it. So I want to start with… how do you think this “consultancy speak” phenomenon started?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Yeah, I mean, it’s normal to use words to describe regular processes, but in specialist words, for example, a surgeon or doctor may describe a bruise as “trauma as a result of an impact”. So I think maybe from that perspective, I can understand the necessity.

Dina Rashid: So I did a little bit of research. Big consultancy firms, back in the day, started using these terms in their publications, reports, etc., and those terms caught on and became part of the everyday language used by consultants and “business people”. And as you said, it’s for the sake of accuracy. But I can’t help but feel as if, quite often, it’s not very conducive to success, and people on forums usually talk about how awkward they feel or how they worry about starting to use these in everyday life. What do you think is the advantage of using this industry jargon?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Hmm, so this raises an important question. Is consultancy speak important when talking consultant to consultant, or consultant-client? If it’s consultant to consultant, maybe it helps to ensure understanding and “alignment”. Although consultant-client relationships can give the client a sense of security, I can see consultancy speak backfiring, creating a disconnect between client and consultant and possibly leading to distrust. “Is this person being genuine, or are they just playing with words?”

Dina Rashid: That’s so true! One of the things that came up when I was looking at why people use this language was that it allows consultants to frame things in a polite way. So, it’s always masking the more straightforward, “blunt” way of speaking.

Skander Ben Ahmed: Being diplomatic.

Dina Rashid: Let’s imagine you were setting up an interpretation business, and you hired a consultancy to make a comms plan, and they come to you, and they start saying stuff like, “We’re putting together a micro-inspirations deck”, etc. How would you perceive that?

Skander Ben Ahmed: I would be nervous, maybe even a bit skeptical of the process.

Dina Rashid: Would it have made you feel like they know what they’re talking about?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Maybe a part of me would think, “These guys are experts, no need to worry.” You know what I mean? If they used plain English or Arabic, I would feel more comfortable. But I think a healthy mix of both might be better. It’d be beneficial for me, too, as a layperson, to hear these industry words. What about you?

Dina Rashid: I’ll be honest. If I hired a consultancy and they used terms I didn’t understand to communicate certain concepts with me, I would doubt how effective they are. But it’s interesting because I think my primary interest in using consultancy speak is that it stops people from underestimating me or makes me feel more secure. I don’t find it particularly efficient otherwise, and it’s not how I normally speak, so there is a little “pushback” on my end to fully adopting this lingo. This brings me to my next question: Is this something you wish someone had spoken to you about when you started working?

Skander Ben Ahmed: No, not really. It’s part of the learning experience, and as someone who’s interested in language, I found it amusing.

Dina Rashid: I definitely would have wanted some more clarity before I started because there were several times at first when even using the word “deck” instead of “presentation” would confuse me initially. I would just pretend that I understood what people were talking about. I imagine the people we work with, who have been using this language as part of their jobs for a very long time, might have a different view on this.

Skander Ben Ahmed: Yeah, or maybe they feel the same but don’t feel that the workplace is the right place for them to speak about their views, right?

Dina Rashid: That’s very astute of you. Okay, I’ve put a list together of some words and phrases to test you on. They’re common, but maybe not ones you may have encountered yourself. The first one is “on the beach”.

Skander Ben Ahmed: To put a hold on something, right? Like, “We considered doing that last year, but it’s been on the beach ever since.”

Dina Rashid: Hmm, okay, so I’ll give you an example. “Skander’s been on the beach this month.”

Skander Ben Ahmed: He’s been sitting on the bench. He’s taking a back seat.

Dina Rashid: Yeah! He’s taking time off or not getting any clients at the moment. Another water-related one is “Boiling the ocean”. I quite like this one.

Skander Ben Ahmed: Being too ambitious, trying to boil the ocean?

Dina Rashid: You’re on the right track.

Skander Ben Ahmed: Like moving mountains?

Dina Rashid: That makes so much sense even though that’s wrong, which is why I feel like none of this is accurate language. In any case, an example could be, “Don’t boil the ocean for an exact number; just give me an estimate.”

Skander Ben Ahmed: Don’t overthink it, maybe? Don’t bend over backwards.

Dina Rashid: Yeah, you got it! Okay, we’ve already heard “being agnostic” about something, “parking lot”, and “spicy worries” in our jobs. But possibly my favourite, which we haven’t heard yet, and I hope I hear it out in the wild one day, is “double-click”. What do you think that means?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Haha, honestly, I’m not sure.

Dina Rashid: An example would be, “Can we pause for a moment and double-click on that point?” It’s just so unusual, but it’s great because it seemingly lacks poetry; it’s just about double-clicking on something. I love it.

Skander Ben Ahmed: It almost seems like a different genre of language altogether. It does make me question, though, whether these terms only work in English or are transferable to other languages as well.

Dina Rashid: Have you come across people using specific consultancy speak in Arabic?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Not really, no. There are a lot of proverbs in Arabic, and they are one of the best ways to establish understanding and deliver meaning. For example, a very commonly used proverb, which is actually a verse from the Holy Quran, is “ʿAsā an takrahū shay’an wa huwa khayrun lakum”. It means that you may initially dislike something and it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Dina Rashid: That’s a great sentiment that works well in a consultancy environment. It may be that consultancy speak is an English-centric thing. But I imagine even in other European languages, people probably use these words interspersed with their regular language, like they would throw in a “circle back”.

Skander Ben Ahmed: In French, they always borrow English terms, like team building and start-up. Do you think you have to go to school, so to speak, to learn these terms?

Dina Rashid: There is a website that is a dictionary for many of these languages, but interestingly, some I didn’t understand even after reading the dictionary.

Skander Ben Ahmed: Much comes from exposure and learning to use these words.

Dina Rashid: Yeah, absolutely. As we wrap up, my last question is: Do you want to continue with our little exercise of sharing these terms as we come across them?

Skander Ben Ahmed: Yes! Because it gives us another shade of understanding regarding the field in which we work. It’s awareness; it’s been like a fun learning experience for me.

Dina Rashid: It’s helped me own a little bit of that insecurity that I sometimes felt and turn it into something that I can learn from, but also just acknowledging that this phenomenon exists has been helpful too, that I’m not the only one who finds this intriguing in my head. Hopefully, this blog will help other people feel that way, too.

Consultancy

Critical thinking

Language

Dina Rashid

With over a decade of experience, Dina blends storytelling, research, and content strategy to craft impactful narratives. She brings strategic insight to Rouya clients—including MiZa, the UAE Pavilion at Expo, and the UAE National Orchestra—helping them develop persuasive communication and narrative strategies. To know more about Dina’s work for the UAE Pavilion, read our case study.

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From Burnout to Bliss

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Miscellaneous

Insight Type: Article

Cultivating Work-Life Balance and Self-Love

Have you ever felt like you were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, with no will to move around, or do anything exciting that requires an extra dose of energy? You’re probably suffering from burnout, an extremely common phenomenon in our fast-paced work environments. The belief that the world would collapse if we stepped away is a mental state that only exists in your head, and I am here to tell you why, how to pull yourself out of it, and how to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

By the time you’re burnt out, you’ve probably already forgotten that you have some days in your leave balance and find yourself too caught up with all the stress and day-to-day workload. You feel like you can’t even get yourself to sit down and just choose which week you want to take off from work.

Burnout is not just about how it affects you, your health, and your well-being, although it does explain all the headaches and the insomnia you may be going through. Burnout truly does affect your productivity levels at work–no one wants a droopy, miserable colleague who does a lot but with no positive energy.

How does it happen? It starts when you get addicted to proving that you are able to take on all the workload by yourself and working until late at night starts to become ordinary. The burnout continues to grow the deeper you dig yourself in the work-work-work lifestyle, believing that you’re the only one who can complete all the work and tasks that you have on your plate.

So how do you pull yourself out of it? The first step in fighting burnout is shifting your mindset and adopting healthier habits for the daily process you go through. If you work from home, once you wake up early in the morning, try to not turn on your phone and check all your social media pages. Get out of bed, have your breakfast slowly, and go for a 15-minute walk outside for some fresh air and scenery.

Next up, boundary setting. This is one of the most difficult things to learn, so it will, and should, take time to master. Boundary setting isn’t only about saying no; it includes many other applications, like defining your work hours, establishing clear communication routes with your peers, delegating tasks, asking for support so that there is less of a load on you, and even setting limits with technology. Sitting in front of a screen for long hours can be damaging on the brain, eyes, body, and mental well-being, so do not underestimate it. All these are just baby steps to getting yourself used to putting your health and well-being first, and not allowing burnout to get to you. Once your mindset shifts from feeling like you must always be available for work, clients, and your boss and colleagues, to putting yourself first, you will start to understand how valuable it is, not just for yourself, but for everyone else around you, too.

Now that we got to the point about ‘everyone else around you,’ this is where a very important aspect comes into play: your support system. Take a good look around you and find the people who truly care about you and want to see you succeed, do well, and be in your best state of mind. Look for the ones who genuinely lift you up, give you all the positive energy you need, and are really there for you whenever you need them. Every time you focus on this, you will start to notice your circle becoming smaller and smaller, until you’re left with the right support system for you, the one(s) who really do bring out the best in you every time they are around, and give you that pep talk you never knew you needed.

Once you’ve established a tight circle, this is where the energy and aura cleansing begin. There are multiple ways to stabilise the energy surrounding you and cleanse your aura from all the negativity that you face on a daily basis. Let’s be honest, no one is happy 24/7, but you can still be content, grateful, and in a state of bliss. Focus on the state of bliss that you want to achieve. The first and easiest way to start is by connecting with nature; go outside more, take off your shoes, and let your bare feet touch the grass, sand, or water. Sit on the floor, touch it with your hands as well, take in a deep breath and exhale slowly, take it all in and just clear your mind. Focus on the colours around you, how the sea has many shades of blue, how you can hear the sounds of the waves splashing against the rocks.

Close your eyes.

The next step is to learn how to meditate. There are lots of sources online that can show you exactly how to do it, but it’s important to actually believe in it so that it can truly separate your mind from all the chaos around you. Focus on your breathing and recognise any negative emotions you want to release during meditation. In addition to meditation, there is a process called smudging, which is burning sage and passing it around you and your space. You can take this extra step by passing it around your home as it releases all the stagnant energy.

Finally, and most importantly, make time for yourself and practise positive affirmations. Make it a habit to engage in self-care activities that activate the happy hormones in your brain. Whether it’s going out with a person you love, ordering sushi and watching your favourite show on TV, going for a late-night swim, listening to music loudly in your car while driving around the city, or simply even painting, reading or journaling, all of these activities are just examples of how making time for yourself can really keep you miles and miles away from burnout.

Going hand in hand with making time for yourself, positive affirmations are what help build your confidence levels, which also plays a big role in the workplace. When you have self-confidence, you indirectly boost your self-esteem and perform much better at work. When you perform better at work, you will find that you are also confident enough to push back on those extra tasks (that are not even urgent) lingering on your to-do list, giving yourself more moments to take a breath. Positive affirmations may sound silly to many, but once you believe in the practice, it truly works. Yes, it does take time to believe in talking to yourself in the mirror every time you look into it, but the more you do it, the more your brain believes in it. These simple steps merely strengthen your sense of self-worth, and it all starts with you. You owe it to yourself to feel great and worthy, and you don’t owe it to anyone else. At the end of the day, it all comes back to you and only you.

These are some ways in which you can manage to avoid burnout. Practice makes perfect, and preventing burnout by achieving a balance between work, life, and self-love is an ongoing journey that requires effort and dedication. Once you learn how to identify the start of your journey to a burnout, it will be easier for you to know where and when to stop and pull yourself out of it. Take it one step at a time and learn to celebrate your own successes, no matter how small they are. When you do that, you will realise how important it is to put yourself first and achieve the state of bliss we all need in our lives.

Business

Wellbeing

Mariam Sami

With 12+ years of experience shaping communications in the UAE, Mariam blends strategy, storytelling, and creativity to build meaningful brand narratives. At Rouya, she leads integrated communications projects for clients including the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, MiZa, and the UAE Pavilion at Expo.

To know more about Mariam's work for a healthcare event, read our case study.

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Insight Type: Article

The Intersection of Literature and the Workplace

Before entering the workforce, I learned at university that thinking was a transferable skill that could be honed. It wasn’t always readily clear how mulling over words and ideas could prove to an employer that I deserved to be hired, but 10 years later, not a day has gone by where learning to read and think has not been valuable. Whether it’s thinking through reading, or reading through thinking, the process of dissecting, deconstructing, and finding multiple meanings in text is my secret “party trick,” and its value to me grows greater with every passing year.

Every single bit of communication we encounter–from media, advertisers, politicians, or leaders–is trying to tell us a story. To be able to think critically about these stories, break them down, and understand them piece by piece, is crucial to navigating life with an informed mind. What is the author trying to say? Why do they want to say this here, now? Why did they use this word? Every question leads to another, creating a linking chain of thoughts that all form a cohesive picture of my own understanding.

Learning to be a critical thinker takes time, especially if you’ve grown up in an environment where “thinking too much” is discouraged. When I started to work on my ability to question through literature, and revel in my own interpretation, I uncovered a newfound confidence in how I saw the world, why I saw it the way I did, and in the consideration of other perspectives. I realised I could take any situation, work of art, or conversation, and start asking the questions that would lead me to the right answers. Just as I would with a line of poetry, I had unknowingly honed this skill of being able to break down complexity or simplicity into questions, however scattered, so that a simple idea could be made more complex, or a complex idea made simple.

This ties very closely to one of my favourite essays, The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes, that argues that the meaning of a text (and perhaps of everything) is not what the author intended it to be, but what the reader interprets. Applying that to one of my favourite poems as an example, we could analyse these four lines from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot:

“Do I dare

Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”

Analysing poetry, or any kind of communication, is an endeavour of questioning. “Do I dare” –who is the “I”? And why the use of “dare”? Is this an act of courage or recklessness? The use of the word “disturb” also opens up a wide range of interpretations. Is the disturbance a conscious act of doing a specific action, or is it coming from the narrator’s own sense of existential crisis? How does one “disturb the universe”? Does “disturb” carry moral weight? Is the narrator wrestling with whether it’s right or wrong to cause this disturbance? The questions may seem endless, but with practice, this allows you to be critical and meticulous about every situation you encounter.

At the workplace, like with poetry, dissecting complex reports or strategies, breaking them down into manageable pieces, and analysing information enables me to identify gaps and propose solutions that may not be immediately obvious. Understanding the subtle nuances in a client’s feedback helps me tailor my approach to meet their exact needs, and drawing parallels between themes helps me find the best path forward. In situations of team conflicts, it helps me listen, ask probing questions, and sift through the fog to find solutions. Perhaps most importantly, it helps me collaborate better within a team, whether that involves brainstorming, receiving/giving feedback or taking in other people’s perspectives. In crude terms, these are clear workplace-related benefits that I’ve transferred from my literary analyses.

One of my favourite parts about analysing text is finding connections. If you read a line of poetry or prose and start to deconstruct the text, you can eventually start comparing and find threads of meaning that correlate to other pieces of text or works of art. The possibilities are as vast as your imagination, and have nothing to do with what the intended meaning by the author was. The more you do it, the more comparisons you can make, regardless of their absurdity. You could be as specific as comparing the use of the word “and” between two poems, or as general as comparing how love is being described by two authors. This exercise of finding threads of meaning, and breathing life into these narratives, is an exercise in freedom. Once you allow your mind to think freely and throw away “correct” interpretations, you free yourself from the mental constraints of “right” interpretations and “right” ways of thinking, opening your mind up to a much wider world of possibilities. This process is especially helpful for problem-solving, brainstorming, or more critical-thinking endeavours like risk assessments, when “out of the box” ideas are welcome and required.

Giving space to my own interpretations is an endeavour of self-realisation. When I give my ideas the space to breathe, and I do them the courtesy of questioning and dissecting, I know that I’m allowing my mind to exercise its ability to widen its scope of thought. It’s not sufficient for me to learn how to think; I want to really enjoy these flights of fancies and validate their existence.

Now, when I sit in meetings, or I’m given a text to edit, or asked for feedback on a concept–all of these “thinking” skills come into action. The practice of questioning and letting ideas grow into solid concepts allows me not only to become a valuable contributor to conversations, but also to identify gaps that others may not see. I can be more decisive about my ideas and advocate for them because I put them through a rigorous process of questioning before I voice them. And most importantly, I can listen, empathise and absorb other perspectives, allowing for even more creativity and imagination to measure against an idea I have and form more thoughtful opinions.

At Rouya, our vision is centred around ihsan, an idea of excellence that encapsulates all aspects of our time, whether that be in how we work with people, the work that we deliver, or indeed how we care for ourselves. Ultimately, I find that the way I can bring ihsan (or excellence) into the work that we do at Rouya lies in fulfilling the potential of my ‘Self’ through the thinking process I learned and honed over the years. For me, literature holds the key to it all.

Critical thinking

Language

Literature

Storytelling

Dina Rashid

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Insight Type: Article

Our Inception

The Foundations

It was no easy feat to bring together the efforts of individuals who are members of the same family, who happen to live in different geographic locations and with different professional backgrounds, to form the nucleus of a company or institution that would combine all its employees’ professional competencies under one roof.

It was rather challenging to imagine entering a fiercely competitive market and going through the necessary administrative requirements towards the establishment of a company, and more particularly, the provision of the necessary capital and the right location and place within the professional and institutional landscape.

In the beginning, everything seemed like a challenge to the confident and capable members of this family, who were armed with valuable expertise and relentless determination in the face of adversity

The Beginning

With the help of Allah, we completed all legal requirements to set up the company and market it under the name of “Rouya” which means “vision” as it was the founders’ vision and ambitions that materialised in this initiative.

So, we rented and renovated a small office, which we furnished with basic equipment, then we started our journey with a very limited number of clients, accepting small projects and covering a few events on specific occasions.

Instead of focusing on making a quick profit, our major objective was finding a place in the market and showcasing the skills and talents of our team members, especially the highly motivated Zainab Azzam and Dareen Al Sarraj, the first two team members to join the company and nurture it in its first steps.

What We Are Now

Like any other experience, we encountered some challenges, which we overcame with patience and wisdom. Such challenges were a springboard towards more success and achievements in the future.

We successfully carried out our activities, especially thanks to the new members: accomplished academic researchers who tremendously enriched the team and enabled it to expand its sphere of activities, thereby gaining greater customer satisfaction and ushering in a new phase of competition at the local and international levels.

Rouya started its journey with four members from the same family, which became today a bigger family made up of 28 members of highly qualified experts and researchers from 13 different nationalities.*

Conclusion

Every success is the result of a clear vision, innovative expertise, strong determination, and a firm belief in success. As we continue to grow, we join forces with all those who seek a generous source of excellence and outstanding services.

Business

Policy

Thought-leadership

Wissam Al Dabbagh

Wissam is a seasoned strategist with a background in administration and strategy. He had assumed ministerial and administrative roles in Baghdad, Iraq before taking on various positions in the UAE since 1979. Renowned for his strategic writing and storytelling skills, his belief in the power of language has shaped many national transformative projects.

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Insight Type: Article

The Case for Miscarriage Leave

In one of the episodes of Rouya’s upcoming podcast–stay tuned!–Maryam Al Dabbagh and I explored how small businesses are pioneering feminist work policies and human-centric HR practices. We touched on what makes HR policies ‘feminist,’ who benefits from them (spoiler alert… everyone), and how a company might find itself in a position to be able to integrate these types of policies into their work culture. We determined that since small businesses can implement changes swiftly due to flatter organisational structures, they are able to respond to the needs of their employees and the market with less red tape and faster decision-making processes.

Since feminist work policies prioritise gender equality, they aim to dismantle systemic barriers and create inclusive environments where everyone has equal opportunities for advancement. These types of policies generally advocate for things like equal pay, parental leave, and flexible working hours.

In our conversation, we explored the importance of Parental Leave, including Maternity and Paternity Leave, which together recognise the crucial role that both parents play in welcoming a child into a new family. This inevitably led us to the topic of Miscarriage Leave, or my preferred term: Pregnancy Loss Leave.

While pregnancy loss is not discussed openly, it is an incredibly painful and profound experience for many. While I personally haven’t gone through it, I have seen firsthand the emotional toll it has taken on close friends who have gone through this heartbreak. The sheer prevalence of pregnancy loss among those close to me has instilled a deep, and somewhat irrational, fear within me that often keeps me awake at night. It’s a fear rooted in the reality that this could be a path I inevitably walk someday. Seeing so many women in my circle face this heartbreaking journey has made me acutely aware of the fragility of life and the emotional toll that pregnancy loss can bring. For me, this is a stark reminder of the challenges and uncertainties that many women (and men) may face on our own paths to parenthood. This is why I believe so strongly that true feminist policies must provision for Pregnancy Loss Leave. In this blog post, I explore current standards and make the case for the pressing need for this special type of paid leave.

The global reporting mechanisms of miscarriages are complex, but despite the variances in the definitions and cultural influences on disclosure, the available statistics show that miscarriages affect approximately 10-20% of known pregnancies worldwide. Society stigmatises speaking about pregnancy loss, leaving individuals to navigate this grief in silence, particularly within the workplace.

Pregnancy Loss Leave stands at the intersection of Maternity Leave and Bereavement Leave. The former is typically taken when a child is born and the latter addresses the loss of a family member. Pregnancy Loss Leave recognises miscarriage as a distinct and significant event that requires dedicated time off and also stands apart from Sick Leave, emphasising the need for a compassionate and supportive approach that goes beyond just physical recovery. This specialised leave not only provides the necessary space for healing, but more importantly, validates the grieving process experienced by individuals and families.

So, what laws are we looking at?

In the UAE, the labour law addresses both paid Maternity and Paternity Leave, as well as extended Maternity Leave due to complications or illness of the mother or child after birth. However, nowhere do modern laws address miscarriage or any additional Paternity Leave outside of the standard leave for fathers that can be taken within the first 6 months of the child’s birth. In fact, to date, only three countries have legislations that specifically address miscarriage: New Zealand, India, and the Philippines.

In New Zealand and India, female employees are entitled to six weeks of paid Miscarriage Leave, while the Philippines applies an equal, paid two-month leave for maternity, miscarriage, and emergency termination of pregnancies. In contrast, other countries do not have explicit policies addressing miscarriage leave, often leaving the decision to state-level government or private company policies.

Government policies aside, why should companies recognise the importance of Miscarriage Leave? Glad you asked…

Introducing Miscarriage Leave can bring a slew of benefits to employers. Being there for your team during tough times boosts morale, strengthens loyalty, and boosts workplace culture and diversity. For the linear thinkers out there: It is a strategic move for a company’s reputation; showing that you truly care about your employees can make you a magnet for top talent.

Designing inclusive policies isn’t something you do on a whim. It takes careful planning and consideration. You have to lay out clear guidelines that include equal accessibility for both women and men, recognising that men also experience emotional and psychological impacts during pregnancy loss. Additionally, HR professionals need to be trained to ensure that cases are handled with confidentiality and sensitivity. Companies that roll out Miscarriage Leave policies demonstrate that they understand the complexities of pregnancy loss. They prioritise their employees’ well-being during tough times, and that speaks volumes about their values.

There might be some pushback against Miscarriage Leave from those who worry about workflow disruptions or costs. However, the reality is that women will have to take time off to recover after a miscarriage. Men will have to take time off to support and care for their partners. The only question that remains is how a company will log it into their HR system.

In a nutshell, I don’t see Pregnancy Loss Leave as nice-to-have; I believe it is essential. It is part of the bigger picture of creating supportive workplaces, and slides in perfectly under the umbrella of feminist work policies. By acknowledging the unique challenges of pregnancy loss, organisations can create environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. It is time for companies to embrace feminist work policies and pave the way for a future of a more compassionate workplace.

Business

Policy

Thought-leadership

Wellbeing

Myriem Boussaad

Myriem is a seasoned Operations and HR strategist with over a decade of impactful experience. Her innovative approach to developing people-centric policies prioritise diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration. As Rouya's General Manager, Myriem shapes forward-thinking policies, ensures business continuity, and advises on key client projects.

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Business

Insight Type: Article

Hospitality in the World of Business

It wasn’t easy taking the very first step in building a specialised small company in a big–and somewhat scary–market ten years ago. When I think about the countless challenges that we face, and continue to face, I find myself wanting to turn this post into long-winded narration of the trials and tribulations, the firsts and the wins of our story as members of one family attempting to succeed in this business without sacrificing our culture and familial ties in the process.

Nevertheless, I promised the editor of this blog that I would stick to my deadline (which I’ve already missed by more than a week) and write about the ethics and etiquette of today’s business. So I’ll leave my storytelling tendencies for another day, or perhaps I’ll tell this story on our upcoming podcast.

Bismillah, we begin.

I still recall that meeting in Abu Dhabi, specifically in Mina Zayed, when my partner in life and business, Abdul Rahman, ordered a large quantity of luqaimat, dates, and various teas to be delivered to the meeting’s address. There were to be more than thirty people from several companies to work on one of the most important governmental projects at the time. Rouya wasn’t the host, but was invited alongside the rest of the company to participate in a brainstorming session. However, we were raised to always bring a plate or two whenever we visited neighbours, friends or family, so we resolved to follow this tradition. When we arrived, we were surprised to find that our colleague Rana Hijazi had also had the same idea, so she came to the meeting carrying a beautifully-assembled tray of nuts and dried fruits.

I remember the smiles that adorned the faces of the government team, who did not find our gesture strange but highly appreciated it. I also remember the bewilderment of the foreign consultants as we carefully set the food and drinks on the table before even introducing ourselves as consultants from the UAE.

From there, we started questioning business protocols and etiquette, and whether our business practices truly reflect our rich culture and hospitality. If we define business etiquette as a set of unwritten rules–or rather, written in foreign books–how can we redefine it in this part of the world to better represent our country and heritage?

What, then, is the importance of “breaking bread” in business? When I researched the topic–and I admit that my rudimentary research was limited to basic search engines–I found that many foreign theories encourage the comprehension and respect of the local culture where a project is taking place. For example, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory sheds light on how understanding the values and norms of a place and culture plays an essential role when working and communicating with people from that culture. Similarly, Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions model affirms the importance of understanding how the norms of every culture affect communication, relationships, and decision-making in its businesses. This awareness of cultural differences allows us to adapt our business and communication practices to become more effective in specific cultural contexts.

Even though we have an overflow of these “theories” that tackle the integration of culture into business on a surface level, I have found, in my humble opinion, that we still fumble when we consider mixing our warm, rich traditions with the prevalent and somewhat cool business etiquette.

For instance, we find ourselves starting every email in Arabic with the same stale translation of “I hope this email finds you well” rather than opening with a warm and genuine salutation that welcomes the receiver by wishing peace upon them and asking about their life, as is customary in Arabic letters.

We also somehow jump straight into any meeting’s agenda without first making small talk, breaking bread between us, and sipping on coffee, all of which can break the monotony of meetings and ease the hectic nature of daily work. These meetings tend to have a hierarchical skeleton that doesn’t reflect the essence of our cultural gatherings or traditional conversations, in which equity and inclusivity are the keystones that our ancestors abided by in their thriving majalis. And as if we’re dissociating from the humanity and empathy that distinguishes our Eastern culture, we shy away from sharing our feelings whether they be about the meeting itself or about various matters like politics, culture, Ramadan, or any topic on our minds.

At Rouya, we encourage our team members to redefine work etiquette everyday; we want and need to dismantle the hold that other cultures have on our own business culture here. We were born and raised in this country–and region–that successfully challenged the stereotypes the world believes about us. This place is defined by its rich heritage and deep roots, which are here to stay. In every meeting, we break bread and drink delicious tea and ask about each person’s welfare, their family’s welfare, and even their neighbour’s welfare, before attempting to do any work. If we call something “unprofessional” on occasion, we ruminate on whether that perception is simply a remnant of an outdated foreign cultural dominance. We also insist on imparting these customs to our international colleagues and partners even if they initially find our behaviour strange. We are the people of “Give gifts and you will love one another,” as the Prophet Muhammad–peace be upon him–says, so when we share a bit of bread, we share with it respect and amiability and sincerity.

At Rouya, we don’t hesitate to be our fullest selves, and we do so everyday without fail.

Business

Rouya

Thought-leadership

UAE

Maryam Wissam Al Dabbagh

Maryam is the co-founder of Rouya. With over 25 years of experience as a communication and storytelling consultant, she has led impactful communication and storytelling strategies across government and cultural entities such as Salama Bint Hamdan Foundation, COP28, the UAE Pavilion at Expo, and Eid Al Etihad. Her work has been showcased in leading exhibitions and publications across the UAE and beyond. To know more about Maryam’s work for the UAE Pavilion, read our case study.

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OP-ED

Insight Type: Article

Our reasons for starting this blog

In the vast virtual world of content, why should you listen to what we have to say?

On one hand, I’m tempted to remind you that you shouldn’t consume anything you don’t want; on the other, some traffic to this blog would be nice.

The truth is that the most nagging reason we’re launching this blog is to satiate our own hunger for creativity rather than trying to gain wide engagement. This is not to say you shouldn’t stick around to read our blog; on the contrary, we’re making our little corner of the Internet a cosy space for thought-leadership, and we’d love for you to read our content. However, as a consultancy, we’re often limited by what the client decides they want their content to be. We can suggest a tone of voice, a subject matter, and a writing guideline, but at the end of the day, we write whatever the client wants to read—while maintaining their best interests, of course.

For years, the co-founder of Rouya, Maryam Al Dabbagh, dreamt of starting a blog under her company’s name, but the small size of the company and the need to make ends meet hindered her. However, in the past year alone, Rouya has almost doubled in size and taken on much larger—and more profitable—projects (mashallah, or knock on wood, or whatever other protection you believe in). With more resources, Maryam’s dream is now becoming an infectious reality that all our members are excited to partake in.

When Maryam asked me to lead the blog workstream—in fact, she had mentioned it even in my first interview—I was honoured and ecstatic. When I first joined Rouya, working as a consultant for clients was a challenge that crawled under my skin to rewire every sense of my being, in the way new experiences often do. However, writing and editing short works of nonfiction is a familiar blanket I can wrap myself in. The ability to strike a balance between client work and creative writing is an opportunity I value greatly. It’s particularly special to get to share it with Rouya.

On a personal level, Rouya is comprised of individuals with outstanding intellect and an unwavering urge to share our knowledge with others. In a conversation, our words surge out of us like an open dam, ready to bring a village back to life. For Rouya, sharing knowledge is a privilege and a duty; it’s how communities grow and prosper. Our voices are critical in a world dominated by the “Global North,” which doesn’t represent us.

From a business perspective, these blogs will introduce visitors to our authors, which can foster connections on a human level. By publishing under our own names, we allow potential clients a glimpse into our personalities and thought processes. As a client, you won’t have to wonder what kind of people you’re about to work with; you’ll already know. We’re very proud of the work culture we’ve created, and we share it with every client and visitor we come across. Now, we want to share it with a wider audience.

If you’ve read this far, I’m glad I didn’t scare you off. We’re quite excited to commence this new chapter in Rouya’s story, and to introduce you to the inner workings of our minds. We hope you tag along.