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Sharjah 24
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Dibba Al Hisn Duo Theatre Festival concludes its 8th edition
'Profile 'concludes the shows The audience on the final night watched the Egyptian play 'Profile', performed by the "Layali Al-Masri" troupe. Nahed El-Tahan wrote the play, Enas Al-Masri provided dramaturgy and direction, and actors Mai Reda and Nashwa Mohammed performed. A fusion of mythology and literature The play presents an imaginative meeting between Medea—a mythological Greek figure who exacted brutal revenge on her unfaithful husband—and Amina, a character from Naguib Mahfouz's 'Cairo Trilogy'. In this portrayal, Amina is reimagined as a modern Egyptian woman who accepts her difficult life, dedicating herself to her family and running a TikTok cooking channel as a means of livelihood. Differing views on marriage The encounter between Medea and Amina, separated by centuries, highlights contrasting perspectives on marriage. Medea embodies anger and vengeance in response to betrayal, while Amina values preserving her home and caring for her daughters, overlooking her husband's marriage to another woman in his quest for a son. Enriched performance Staged in a realistic setting, the performance relied on dialogue to draw out the ideological divide between the two women. Video projections illustrated Medea's mythical journey from the sun to Earth and reflected Amina's engagement with social media. Music and sound effects helped transition between scenes and added emotional depth to specific moments. Critical session A post-performance critical session, moderated by Egyptian theatre artist Fady Nashat, saw participants commend the efforts of the team and the play's ambition in addressing the societal status of women. Diverse programme The eighth edition of the Dibba Al Hisn Duo Theatre Festival, which began on Friday, 23 May, featured five theatrical productions, including 'Profile'. Other performances included '17 Hours' by Sharjah National Theatre, 'Individual Salvation' by Syria's Tajamu Ashjar troupe, 'Life and Dream' by Morocco's Al-Shamat Theatre, and 'To Prepare a Boiled Egg ' by Kuwait Theatre. The festival also hosted the 20th Sharjah Arab Theatre Forum and held three workshops for school theatre facilitators in directing, scenography, and puppetry. A festival founded to foster theatrical exchange Established in 2016, the Dibba Al Hisn Duo Theatre Festival was launched in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, with the aim of expanding and diversifying theatrical activity in the emirate and building bridges of communication and knowledge exchange between Emirati and Arab theatre professionals.
The Wire
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
‘Thrown Into the Sea': How India Allegedly Deported 38 Rohingya Refugees Without Due Process
'My brother came to India after our village was burned. He walked for days with wounds on his legs and buried our parents on the way. He was just trying to survive. When the police came, they said it was only for biometrics. He trusted them and went. That was the last time we saw him,' said Amina*, days after her brother, among a group of 38 Rohingya refugees, was reportedly thrown into international waters by Indian officials. Now, a petition filed in the Supreme Court by two refugees states that minors, including girls as young as 15 or 16, senior citizens up to 66 years old, and individuals suffering from serious medical conditions, including cancer, tuberculosis, heart disease and diabetes, faced deportation action that led to them being thrown into the ocean. These Rohingya refugees – including minors, women, the elderly, and the critically ill – all of whom were registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in India, were detained by the Delhi Police. They were reportedly picked up from their homes in New Delhi on the night of May 6 under the 'false pretence of biometric data collection.' While reports in the media and the petition itself state that 43 Rohingya refugees were thrown into international waters, Dilwar Hussein, a legal officer at the Socio Legal Information Centre working on the case told The Wire that the number is 38, and an alteration is due to be made in the petition itself. 'No legal process was followed, we've been through enough to know what due process means. There were no warrants, prior notices or opportunities to be heard. All of them were detained for more than 24 hours in various police stations without being presented in court,' Amina added. Lawyers for the Rohingya petitioners emphasise that the police's actions were in violation of Article 22 of the Indian Constitution and various procedures within the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which mandate production before a magistrate within 24 hours and prohibit arbitrary ended up being thrown overboard, allegedly by Indian government officials, into the Bay of Bengal, eventually floating their way back to Myanmar, the land which they fled in the first place. Thomas Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, has launched an inquiry into the incident. 'I am deeply concerned by what appears to be a blatant disregard for the lives and safety of those who require international protection. Such cruel actions would be an affront to human decency and represent a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulment, a fundamental tenet of international law that prohibits states from returning individuals to a territory where they face threats to their lives or freedom,' Andrews said.'Deceived, Delhi police lied to them''They were deceived, Delhi police lied to them,' Hussein said. On the evening of May 6, 38 Rohingya refugees from Delhi's Uttam Nagar, Vikaspuri, and Hastsal, were detained after being called to the police station on the pretext of collecting biometrics, where they were held for 24 hours. The petition says that they were then transferred to the Inderlok Detention Center on May 7 after authorities claimed that biometric facilities were only available at that location, assuring their release following the procedure. However, that was not the case. Hussein emphasised on the lack of due process, questioning the Delhi police's reported decision to detain a woman and a minor in the police station without involving a special juvenile police unit. He said, 'If the police have taken this action, they must register an FIR. They did not do that. What they did was they kept them overnight – without producing them before a magistrate – and then directly sent them to a detention centre, absolutely violating Article 22'Among those detained was a man caring for his wife who had recently suffered a miscarriage. His wife was left unattended after he was taken away. Three Delhi police officials 'who appeared to be heavily intoxicated, attempted to physically assault the woman… used abusive language, and aggressively searched their homes,' when they were unable to locate another man in the area. The second man was also reportedly beaten in custody after he returned home later that also spoke about the condition of '40 plus other Rohingya illegally detained in multiple police stations across Southwest District,' who were reportedly kept in police custody for over 48 hours without access to food, water, essential medication and more. 'They were not allowed food. The children were crying. Toddlers were crying for milk. There were elderly people missing their medicines. It was a pathetic situation. Among these people, one man was beaten in custody and was later released only after intervention by the UNHCR's legal partners,' he after having their biometrics collected, the first group of over three dozen Rohingya, who were expected to be released, were 'blindfolded, had their hands and legs tied and flown to Port Blair in the Andamans to be deported'. Due processGiven the absence of standing orders for deportation by the Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO) and the lack of notice or copy of the deportation order, which can only be issued by the FRRO, how could the group be deported in the first place?During a Supreme Court hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta had assured the bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N. Kotiswar Singh, that the deportation of undocumented Rohingya migrants would adhere to due process under current laws and emphasised that India does not acknowledge them as refugees. While discussing the deportation of Rohingya refugees, it is important to keep two things in mind: One, that deportation of refugees fleeing persecution – like the Rohingya refugees – is itself contrary to the Constitution. In the NHRC v. State of Arunachal Pradesh case, the Supreme Court held that the state is duty-bound to protect the life and liberty of all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike, under Article 21. While the judgment does not categorically ban all deportations, it makes clear that no person, especially a refugee, can be removed in a manner that violates their fundamental even if someone has to be deported, the process involves connecting with the embassy of their country of origin which verifies their identity and if they accept the person as their own, they issue a travel document. Only then can they be deported. 'The Indian government abducted these refugees. If the Embassy of Myanmar is not accepting them and refuses to accept that these people are Myanmar nationals, how is the Indian government able to deport them?' Hussein asked. 'Calculated cruelty'After being flown to Port Blair under mysterious circumstances, the group of Rohingya refugees were transferred onto what was identified as an Indian naval vessel on May 8. 'What followed was calculated cruelty,' Colin Gonsalves, a senior advocate and lawyer for the Rohingya refugees in the petition previously listed in the Supreme Court, told The Wire. The detainees were reportedly beaten 'black and blue' onboard the ship, Hussein said, by personnel who offered no explanation for the violence. A deported woman, who managed to contact relatives from Myanmar, reported that no female officer was present aboard the vessel and alleged 'sexual assault and groping by Indian officials.'Once the vessel approached waters near Myanmar's coast, the refugees' bounds were loosened to allow them to swim. Life jackets were distributed and then came a question: 'Do you all want to go to Indonesia or Myanmar?'How can a refugee be deported to the state from which they have fled, fearing persecution? While there is no confirmation on how far the group was taken before being thrown into the ocean, Hussein says that the group swam, along with moving ocean currents, for close to 12 hours before arriving on land. On the ship, several among the group began pleading with the officers. They wanted to go to Indonesia but not Myanmar – a country they had fled in fear of certain death, rape, persecution and torture. 'They told the officials they would be killed if sent back to Myanmar,' Hussein recounted. But their objections were ignored, and the group assured them that somebody will come to take them to Indonesia. 'Pushed into water one by one'One by one, they were pushed into the water after being assured of a rescue. Nobody came. With no escort, no assurance, and no sign of any Indonesian rescue, they were left to fend for themselves in the open passed, exhausted and disoriented, the refugees managed to swim toward the nearest visible stretch of land, a group of islands. It was only after they encountered local fishermen, and began speaking to them, that the truth began to settle in. The language was familiar. The shoreline too. They were back in Myanmar, in the Tanintharyi Region.'They could not be deported. The government must ask itself: Why are we deporting them?,' said are we actually deporting the Rohingya?During the proceedings, solicitor general Mehta and advocate Kanu Agrawal informed the bench that the Supreme Court had previously rejected requests to halt the deportation of Rohingya Muslims from Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. Gonsalves strongly asserted that even if the government does not formally recognise their refugee status, the UNHCR does. The international body has ascertained that claims of persecution were genuine and subsequently issued refugee identity it must be noted that in the case of Assam and J&K, deportations occurred only after Myanmar confirmed the refugees' identities and issued travel documents, in line with due process. Were those precedents not flouted when the group from Delhi were not processed, not identified by Myanmar, not handed over through any official channel, and dumped at sea? 'In Jammu, the government claimed that they were deporting the Rohingya because of terrorist links, but we all know that was not the case. They are being deported because they are Muslim. That is the only answer that remains. They are not terrorists. They don't have criminal cases against them. So the government must ask itself: Why are we deporting them?' Gonsalves Union government has often stated in court that since India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, the Rohingya are essentially 'foreigners without rights'However, Hussein pointed out that India 'is a signatory to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,' who's Article 3 clearly states that you cannot return a person to a country where they may face torture. 'Haven't we violated an international convention? Absolutely, we have,' Hussein said. Meanwhile, relatives of those who were thrown at sea wait to hear back from their kin.'My cousin was a kind man. He had his refugee card, never missed a police check, and avoided politics. He was thrown out like trash. I still don't know if he's alive or dead since he reached Myanmar. They violated every promise this country made to people like us,' said Rifan*, another Rohingya whose cousin was thrown off the ship on May 8. While UNHCR India has connected with the UN office in Myanmar, which is now trying to locate and extend assistance to these 38 people, lawyers have not been in touch with the group since they first official from the Ministry of External Affairs told The Wire, 'The matter is subjudice. We won't have a comment to offer on this matter.'*Names changed for Roy is a journalist and producer based in New Delhi who reports on international affairs, diplomacy and conflict.
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Escapes presents free preview screenings of riveting drama Lollipop ahead of UK release
Escapes, supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, continues its mission to champion independent cinema with a preview of a powerful new release. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The next film to receive a spotlight through the initiative is the emotionally charged drama Lollipop, with free screenings taking place on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd June across more than 100 cinemas nationwide, ahead of its UK release on Friday 13th June. Directed with nuance and heart by Daisy-May Hudson for her first feature film debut, Lollipop has been praised by The Guardian as 'Powerful… an impassioned, humane and urgently performed drama,' awarding it 4 stars. The film stars Posy Sterling as Molly, a young mother recently released from prison who struggles with the bureaucracy of social services to regain custody of her children. Idil Ahmed plays Amina, Molly's childhood friend and fellow single mother, who helps Molly navigate her challenges, while Terriann Cousins portrays Sylvie, Molly's mother. As Molly reconnects with Amina, the two women form a deep bond that empowers them to reclaim control over their lives in the face of a system stacked against them. A story of resilience, sisterhood, and determination, Lollipop is a compelling exploration of second chances and unbreakable hope. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Escapes continues to shine a light on the cultural and emotional value of independent cinema, with screenings taking place at iconic venues such as the historic Savoy Cinema in Nottingham, Jam Jar in Whitley Bay, and Glasgow's Omniplex. Whether you're keen for a post-work motion picture, looking for an inspiring evening out or eager to support indie storytelling, Lollipop is one of the year's must-see movies, screened for free through the Escapes initiative. Lollipop Following past Escapes successes such as the new Nicolas Cage thriller The Surfer, the inspiring tale of The Penguin Lessons starring Steve Coogan and the heartwarming family friendly film The Sloth Lane, Lollipop is poised to be another memorable addition - connecting audiences with authentic and powerful stories on the big screen.
The Wire
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
‘Thrown Into the Sea': How India Allegedly Deported 38 Rohingya Refugees Without Due Process
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now rights 'Thrown Into the Sea': How India Allegedly Deported 38 Rohingya Refugees Without Due Process Pranay Roy 6 minutes ago After being flown to Port Blair under mysterious circumstances, the Rohingya refugees were transferred onto an Indian naval vessel before being thrown into the open sea. Rohingya refugees getting off boats. Photo: Flickr/Prachatai, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now 'My brother came to India after our village was burned. He walked for days with wounds on his legs and buried our parents on the way. He was just trying to survive. When the police came, they said it was only for biometrics. He trusted them and went. That was the last time we saw him,' said Amina*, days after her brother, part of a group of 38 Rohingya refugees, were reportedly thrown into international waters by Indian officials. Now, a petition filed in the Supreme Court by two refugees states that minors, including girls as young as 15 or 16, senior citizens up to 66 years old, and individuals suffering from serious medical conditions, including cancer, tuberculosis, heart disease and diabetes, faced deportation action that led to them being thrown into the ocean. These Rohingya refugees – including minors, women, the elderly, and the critically ill – all of whom were registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in India, were detained by the Delhi Police. They were reportedly picked up from their homes in New Delhi on the night of May 6 under the 'false pretense of biometric data collection.' While reports in the media and the petition itself state that 43 Rohingya refugees were thrown into international waters, Dilwar Hussein, a legal officer at the UNHCR's Socio Legal Information Centre working on the case told The Wire that the number is 38, and an alteration is due to be made in the petition itself. 'No legal process was followed, we've been through enough to know what due process means. There were no warrants, prior notices or opportunities to be heard. All of them were detained for more than 24 hours in various police stations without being presented in court,' Amina added. Lawyers for the Rohingya petitioners emphasise that the police's actions were in violation of Article 22 of the Indian Constitution and various procedures within the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which mandate production before a magistrate within 24 hours and prohibit arbitrary detention. They ended up being thrown overboard, allegedly by Indian government officials, into the Bay of Bengal, eventually floating their way back to Myanmar, the land which they fled in the first place. 'Deceived, Delhi police lied to them' 'They were deceived, Delhi police lied to them,' Hussein said. On the evening of May 6, 38 Rohingya refugees from Delhi's Uttam Nagar, Vikaspuri, and Hastsal, were detained after being called to the police station on the pretext of collecting biometrics, where they were held for 24 hours. The petition says that they were then transferred to the Inderlok Detention Center on May 7 after authorities claimed that biometric facilities were only available at that location, assuring their release following the procedure. However, that was not the case. Hussein emphasised on the lack of due process, questioning the Delhi police's reported decision to detain a woman and a minor in the police station without involving a special juvenile police unit. He said, 'If the police have taken this action, they must register an FIR. They did not do that. What they did was they kept them overnight – without producing them before a magistrate – and then directly sent them to a detention centre, absolutely violating Article 22' Among those detained was a man caring for his wife who had recently suffered a miscarriage. His wife was left unattended after he was taken away. Three Delhi police officials 'who appeared to be heavily intoxicated, attempted to physically assault the woman… used abusive language, and aggressively searched their homes,' when they were unable to locate another man in the area. The second man was also reportedly beaten in custody after he returned home later that night. Hussein also spoke about the condition of '40 plus other Rohingya illegally detained in multiple police stations across Southwest District,' who were reportedly kept in police custody for over 48 hours without access to food, water, essential medication and more. 'They were not allowed food. The children were crying. Toddlers were crying for milk. There were elderly people missing their medicines. It was a pathetic situation. Among these people, one man was beaten in custody and was later released only after intervention by the UNHCR's legal partners,' he said. However, after having their biometrics collected, the first group of over three dozen Rohingya, who were expected to be released, were 'blindfolded, had their hands and legs tied and flown to Port Blair in the Andamans to be deported'. Due process Given the absence of standing orders for deportation by the Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO) and the lack of notice or copy of the deportation order, which can only be issued by the FRRO, how could the group be deported in the first place? During a Supreme Court hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta had assured the bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N. Kotiswar Singh, that the deportation of undocumented Rohingya migrants would adhere to due process under current laws and emphasised that India does not acknowledge them as refugees. While discussing the deportation of Rohingya refugees, it is important to keep two things in mind: One, that deportation of refugees fleeing persecution – like the Rohingya refugees – is itself contrary to the Constitution. In the NHRC v. State of Arunachal Pradesh case, the Supreme Court held that the state is duty-bound to protect the life and liberty of all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike, under Article 21. While the judgment does not categorically ban all deportations, it makes clear that no person, especially a refugee, can be removed in a manner that violates their fundamental rights. Two, even if someone has to be deported, the process involves connecting with the embassy of their country of origin which verifies their identity and if they accept the person as their own, they issue a travel document. Only then can they be deported. 'The Indian government abducted these refugees. If the Embassy of Myanmar is not accepting them and refuses to accept that these people are Myanmar nationals, how is the Indian government able to deport them?' Hussein asked. 'Calculated cruelty' After being flown to Port Blair under mysterious circumstances, the group of Rohingya refugees were transferred onto what was identified as an Indian naval vessel on May 8. 'What followed was calculated cruelty,' Colin Gonsalves, a senior advocate and lawyer for the Rohingya refugees in the petition previously listed in the Supreme Court, told The Wire. The detainees were reportedly beaten 'black and blue' onboard the ship, Hussein said, by personnel who offered no explanation for the violence. A deported woman, who managed to contact relatives from Myanmar, reported that no female officer was present aboard the vessel and alleged 'sexual assault and groping by Indian officials.' Once the vessel approached waters near Myanmar's coast, the refugees' bounds were loosened to allow them to swim. Life jackets were distributed and then came a question: 'Do you all want to go to Indonesia or Myanmar?' How can a refugee be deported to the state from which they have fled, fearing persecution? While there is no confirmation on how far the group was taken before being thrown into the ocean, Hussein says that the group swam, along with moving ocean currents, for close to 12 hours before arriving on land. On the ship, several among the group began pleading with the officers. They wanted to go to Indonesia but not Myanmar – a country they had fled in fear of certain death, rape, persecution and torture. 'They told the officials they would be killed if sent back to Myanmar,' Hussein recounted. But their objections were ignored, and the group assured them that somebody will come to take them to Indonesia. 'Pushed into water one by one' One by one, they were pushed into the water after being assured of a rescue. Nobody came. With no escort, no assurance, and no sign of any Indonesian rescue, they were left to fend for themselves in the open sea. Hours passed, exhausted and disoriented, the refugees managed to swim toward the nearest visible stretch of land, a group of islands. It was only after they encountered local fishermen, and began speaking to them, that the truth began to settle in. The language was familiar. The shoreline too. They were back in Myanmar, in the Tanintharyi Region. 'They could not be deported. The government must ask itself: Why are we deporting them?,' said Gonsalves. Why are we actually deporting the Rohingya? During the proceedings, solicitor general Mehta and advocate Kanu Agrawal informed the bench that the Supreme Court had previously rejected requests to halt the deportation of Rohingya Muslims from Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. Gonsalves strongly asserted that even if the government does not formally recognise their refugee status, the UNHCR does. The international body has ascertained that claims of persecution were genuine and subsequently issued refugee identity cards. Moreover, it must be noted that in the case of Assam and J&K, deportations occurred only after Myanmar confirmed the refugees' identities and issued travel documents, in line with due process. Were those precedents not flouted when the group from Delhi were not processed, not identified by Myanmar, not handed over through any official channel, and dumped at sea? 'In Jammu, the government claimed that they were deporting the Rohingya because of terrorist links, but we all know that was not the case. They are being deported because they are Muslim. That is the only answer that remains. They are not terrorists. They don't have criminal cases against them. So the government must ask itself: Why are we deporting them?' Gonsalves asked. The Union government has often stated in court that since India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, the Rohingya are essentially 'foreigners without rights' However, Hussein pointed out that India 'is a signatory to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,' who's Article 3 clearly states that you cannot return a person to a country where they may face torture. 'Haven't we violated an international convention? Absolutely, we have,' Hussein said. Meanwhile, relatives of those who were thrown at sea wait to hear back from their kin. 'My cousin was a kind man. He had his refugee card, never missed a police check, and avoided politics. He was thrown out like trash. I still don't know if he's alive or dead since he reached Myanmar. They violated every promise this country made to people like us,' said Rifan *, another Rohingya whose cousin was thrown off the ship on May 8. While UNHCR India has connected with the UN office in Myanmar, which is now trying to locate and extend assistance to these 38 people, lawyers have not been in touch with the group since they first spoke. An official from the Ministry of External Affairs told The Wire, 'The matter is subjudice. We won't have a comment to offer on this matter.' *Names changed for confidentiality. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News From Balochistan to Kashmir, the Region's Unresolved Grievances Refuse To Stay Buried India 'Pushing Back' Undocumented Bangladesh Nationals, 300 Migrants Sent Back this Month: Report 'My Mother Is Not Pakistani': Bengal Family Shaken as 70-Year-Old Faces Deportation Seshachalam Tragedy: A Decade of Silence and Desperate Call for Justice From Parks to Paperwork – Disability Rights in India Need a Cultural Push Merit vs Box-Ticking: How Exclusionary Norms Drain Students With Disabilities India's National Human Rights Commission Faces 'Historic' Downgrade as UN-Linked Body Flags Govt Interference Pakistani Artillery Shelling Kills 10 Civilians in J&K, Locals Say Fighter Jet Crashed in Pampore PMLA Accused Have Right to Copies of Documents Not Relied on by ED: Supreme Court About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Gulf News
29-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Nigerian entrepreneur turns smart spending into business success in Dubai
Dubai: From budgeting summer holiday expenses as a child to managing a profitable salon today, Amina Bahari's story is proof that financial literacy pays off—literally and emotionally. When a seven-year relationship ended, she moved to Dubai from Sudan in 2013 with no clear roadmap—but she carried two powerful tools many underestimate: discipline and a deep respect for money. What followed was a decade-long journey of saving with purpose, investing wisely, and building a thriving business in one of the world's most competitive cities. Raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Amina learned early that 'money was earned, not given.' Her father, the family's sole provider, made sure of that. 'Before any allowance, we had to justify our need with a budget breakdown,' she says. 'He taught us to think critically about spending and saving—skills that I later used in life and business.' That money mindset eventually led Amina, now 40, to co-found Stay Flawless, a beauty lounge in Dubai, which broke even in just nine months and now runs at a 34% profit margin. But her journey wasn't always glamorous—or easy. Planning before passion pays off After gaining over a decade of corporate experience in brand and marketing roles across the GCC, Amina began saving with a specific goal in mind: financial freedom. 'I knew I didn't want to stay in a job forever, no matter how successful I became. I saved aggressively, learned how to read P&L statements, and took time to understand every part of running a business—from logistics to customer service.' Alongside business partner Hadeel Ismail, Amina invested Dh600,000 of personal savings into launching Stay Flawless in 2021. 'We planned it for two years, and because we understood our market and cost structure deeply, we scaled sustainably. From year one to year two, revenue jumped 105%. The next year, it rose by 45%.' But the real financial lesson came early. Avoiding the contractor trap 'One of our first mistakes cost us dearly,' Amina recalls. 'We trusted a contractor who claimed they could handle the fit-out for half the market price. They disappeared after taking Dh150,000.' It was a painful but invaluable lesson in due diligence. 'Always do background checks and keep your emotions in check—especially when you're excited. That setback taught me the power of professional delegation and the need for contracts, references, and clear communication.' The value of financial boundaries Amina's disciplined financial upbringing taught her something many business owners overlook: pay yourself. 'We included fair remuneration for ourselves from the start. Too many entrepreneurs ignore this and end up dipping into savings or running up debt.' She also avoided the trap of overreliance on credit. 'Unless you have a repayment plan tied to incoming revenue, don't borrow. We only use credit for short-term liquidity—not long-term funding.' Instead, she focused on strong cash flow management, accurate forecasting, and building emergency reserves. Tip #1: Save with intention, not just fear Amina began investing in 2020—not impulsively, but cautiously. She started with low-risk instruments like savings plans and fixed income, then diversified into equity funds and eventually business ventures. 'Savings are great, but inflation erodes idle money,' she says. 'I looked for investments aligned with my values and long-term goals. Passive income, when planned well, creates stability.' Tip #2: Spend where it matters Amina's spending philosophy is simple: 'Splurge only where there's return—financial or emotional.' For her, that meant investing in her team's training and wellbeing. 'Happy teams create happy clients. That's what sustains growth.' She's also strategic about branding and digital marketing. 'It's tempting to cut costs here, but visibility drives value in competitive cities like Dubai.' Tip #3: Build financial confidence early Whether managing a salon or planning retirement, Amina credits her confidence to early financial exposure. 'Budgeting during childhood, negotiating with siblings, presenting plans to my father—all of it helped me become financially fearless as an adult.' She now applies those same lessons with her team and future business ventures. 'Transparency, structure, and open discussions about money shouldn't be taboo. They build trust—and better decisions.' Final takeaway: Finance is freedom Today, Amina enjoys both financial stability and personal freedom. Her days are a mix of business meetings and beach walks, salon reviews and poetry writing. 'Financial planning doesn't mean you can't enjoy life,' she says. 'It means you get to enjoy it on your terms.' Her advice to anyone looking to take control of their finances—whether starting a business or building savings? 'Track every dirham. Save with purpose. Delegate smartly. And always negotiate—life and money are both flexible if you ask the right way.'
