I moved to Dubai after struggling to get my business off the ground in the UK - after just a year I'm a millionaire thanks to the endless opportunities I don't get at home
An ambitious couple disillusioned with the UK relocated to Dubai and launched their own business - and it's already worth £1 million after just one year.
Jason Kwao, 28, who dropped out of university because he 'didn't find it useful', began buying homeware products direct from a warehouse and selling on Amazon for a profit.
He transferred to work with an agency where he got to take on higher-value accounts - bringing in £8,000 per month before tax.
With Jason able to do his job remotely, he and his wife, Sumekka Selliah-Kwao, 27, then moved to the Dubailand area of Dubai to enjoy the warm climate and explore a new lifestyle.
In January 2024, they co-launched their own commercial selling agency - although cash was initially tight as they had invested it all, alongside having a second child.
But over time, their business-to-business product sales agency, Intermast, grew - allowing the young couple to take on staff.
In January 2025, just a year since launching, the couple have a team of five and say the business has been valued at £1 million.
Jason, originally from Croydon, south London, said: 'When I met Sumekka, we both had a vision of what we wanted to achieve.
'When I started doing well selling on Amazon while working with an agency, it was so exciting - but I felt like I was burnt out.
'That was why we packed our suitcases and moved to Dubai.
'We invested everything and sometimes we'd be late paying rent if sales invoices didn't come through on time.
'Sometimes I'd end up in tears from stress.
'But when you start to do the right things, eventually people see the value of what you're doing.'
Jason grew up in a poorer area of London near Croydon, where he was surrounded by crime, he said.
He struggled at school - even getting suspended for a month while in year 11 - but managed to do well in his exams and got into Coventry University in 2017 to study pharmacological science.
But, with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, Jason felt he was 'wasting his potential' and left after a year.
He cycled through a series of part time jobs to be able to pay rent - including working as a cashier, fixing phones and delivering pizza.
At the time, Jason and Sumekka were living in a shared house with more than six other people - and they had just found out that she was pregnant.
When Jason learnt that his housemate ran a warehouse selling homeware products on Groupon, he started working for the housemate, picking and packing orders.
In the meantime, the same friend taught him the basics of e-commerce, allowing Jason to start buying and selling on Amazon independently from 2020.
Jason said: 'He would give me the items on loan, and then I would sell them and pay him back.
'The bestsellers were rugs and duvets.
'Before we knew it, we did our first £10,000 month in net sales.'
With his sights set even higher, Jason joined an agency consulting and selling on Amazon in 2022.
He said: 'I was working on accounts worth millions, it was one of the most exciting periods of my life.
'I was doing everything I wanted, and I was earning so much money, but I started to feel burnt out.'
He and Sumekka saved up to travel and in August 2023, they spent four months visiting Southeast Asia.
They decided to settle in Dubai in December 2023 after finding out Sumekka was pregnant with their second child.
They ploughed all their savings into launching their business Intermast - meaning 'Internet Mastery' - in January 2024.
CEO Jason said: 'We help clients sell and make money on Amazon, working business-to-business.
'We use our expertise in data analysis, keywords, strategy and advertising to get our clients' products clicked on.
'But it was hard at first - as soon as money came in it would be going out.
'Whether that was hospital appointments, or a new laptop, or applying for residency - there was always something to pay for.'
But towards the end of 2024, their social media posts started getting a lot of attention, and they began securing new and larger clients.
After a whirlwind fourth quarter, a business valuation revealed Intermast's worth had grown from zero to £1 million in just 12 months.
Now they run a team of five and live in a three-bed villa with their children Sofia Amari, five, and Amias, 11 months.
Jason said: 'I had a bad experience of London - I grew up in a poor place with gangs, stabbings and fires.
'But coming here felt like endless possibilities.
'We have employees so we don't spend as much time doing the day-to-day business work any more.
'I love the sunshine, I love working outside and seeing the greenery and pool outside the villa.
'It's a busy life but it makes us so happy to be here and do this.'
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