Dubai: “That seems kind of risky.” That’s the typical reaction Swiss national Joanna Rubin was accustomed to hearing whenever she would float a business idea as a young woman growing up in Europe.Dubai, she says, flips the script.“Starting a business in other parts of the world can be a tough process. A lot of money is involved, and many people have a 9-to-5 mindset. So, whenever I would share business ideas, I remember people sometimes looking at me a bit weirdly, almost as if they were saying, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’” she said.Less than eight months after moving to Dubai, the 26-year-old business student is already working on two new business ventures in a city that has finally given her a pace of life that matches the speed at which she likes to build. “I moved to Dubai in January this year, after I spoke to a few friends who told me so many nice things about the city and the pace at which it works,” she said.“I am very business-oriented, so when I heard about the potential of the city and how quickly things move, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for,” she added.From Zürich to Boston, and then DubaiThe daughter of a teacher, Rubin said her mum had always taught her children to be curious and explore new experiences. The encouragement led her to start her first business at the age of 20, a marketing and sales platform, which she still operates out of Zürich.Last year, she moved to Boston, US, to begin her MBA at Hult International Business School. With the business school also operating a campus in Dubai, she said moving to the UAE felt like the natural next step.“It’s been incredible, to be honest,” she said. “Even better than I expected.”The one word that Rubin can’t help but use to describe her experience so for is ‘easy’ – the ease with which you can connect with like-minded people, the ease with which new ideas are welcomed and immediately worked on, and the ease with which you can start a business in the city.“There’s just a very good mix of people here, who are very open to ideas and have a lot of energy,” she said.With a strong focus on AI, Rubin has already started two projects with business partners in Dubai – a recruitment platform and an affiliate programme aimed at connecting brands with businesses.“The recruitment platform was the one I started first, two months ago. Just yesterday, we had the first pitch, which went really well and we’ll hopefully find investors to grow the business,” she said.Turning ideas into actionFor Rubin, the difference between Dubai and other places she has experienced is not necessarily the scale of the ideas being discussed, but what happens after someone has one. “If you compare Dubai to any other place, the difference is that they make decisions and implement them right away. Whereas, anywhere else, it can take ages before anything happens,” she said.“I really love that, especially as a young person, because you want to put ideas into practice to see the results immediately. You get to learn from it and you want to do that quickly,” she said.Which is why the Dubai-it philosophy was particularly relatable to the young tech founder.Launched in June this year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai-it initiative aims to pass on Dubai’s philosophy of work to future generations.Describing it as a verb, Sheikh Mohammed said that to ‘Dubai-it’ is “to achieve something extraordinary with excellence in record time. It’s about turning big ideas into reality, just like Dubai’s incredible transformation from desert to global city in a short span.”For Rubin, that Dubai-it approach is even more visible in the AI space, where the journey between hearing an idea and turning it into something tangible becomes dramatically shorter.“You can do things so quickly. It still amazes me how much I can get done in such a short period of time. If I look back even a year, a lot of this would not have been possible,” she said.“I can meet new people, they tell me their ideas, and I can sit with what they have in their heads and turn it into something implementable very quickly,” she added.Dubai-it every dayIn love with the networking culture of Dubai, Rubin said it gives entrepreneurs countless opportunities to meet new people, exchange ideas and build valuable connections. Photo credit: SuppliedHer typical day in Dubai also reflects that same shift in mindset. She loves waking up early, saying that is when her mind feels clearest and she can focus on her business ideas. By 9am, she is attending classes, which continue until late afternoon. “I usually do some group work at school after that and then go to the gym. And in the evening, I try to attend a networking event, if there’s one happening,” she said.“I have definitely changed my pace a lot since moving here. There is always so much happening and there are so many opportunities.”But it is not simply the number of opportunities in Dubai that has struck her. The biggest difference is the openness she’s witnessed to new ideas, including those that might initially sound outlandish.“It is a very friendly environment, so even when I am discussing ideas, I never feel like I am in an interview with the person. I can speak very openly or even share crazy ideas, without worrying about the fact that it would be immediately dismissed. People are ambitions but also very pragmatic, and everyone is focused on moving forward and executing ideas,” she said.She says even the language she hears at networking events reflects that mindset.“You notice it in the way people discuss ideas. They will say, ‘Yes, we’re only at the beginning right now, but we know we can go far.’ It’s very much about everyone working together and building things.”‘Bring your ideas and help build’Driving home from these events always leaves Rubin with a thrill – of meeting new people, being exposed to new ideas, and having just expanded her quickly growing network.Having experienced other tech hubs across the world, the difference in access startups get here is stark.“In other parts of the world, it does feel like there are different levels and you can only get access to certain parts of it. It can be hard to get into the inner circle and really take advantage of the environment.“Here, everyone is so friendly. People will help you and recommend you to others. You are welcomed with open arms because the approach is very much: ‘Bring your ideas and help build.’”For Rubin, who graduates from her MBA programme in two weeks, that sense of possibility has made the decision about what comes next relatively easy.“I definitely want to stay and make more of the environment,” she said. “I also want to explore more of the country – the different cities and the nature side of things. “I just feel like everyday life is so exciting. It makes me very excited about the future – for me personally, but also for the UAE.”
