Dubai: How do you go from a job cleaning restaurants, to becoming a business owner twice over?
Nepali national Khem Raj Biswakarma achieved it with grit and gumption – and the Dubai-it spirit of chasing excellence in record time.
A dream built on other people’s stories
Born and raised in Nepal, Biswakarma said he was always fascinated by Dubai: “I used to read and watch stories about how this city transformed itself over just a few decades, from a trading town into one of the world’s most developed and ambitious cities.”
He was inspired, in particular, by the stories he would hear from relatives and friends, of people who arrived in Dubai with very little but who gradually built successful lives for themselves. “I thought, if they can do it, why can’t I?”
So, in 2017, Biswakarma left behind his parents and siblings, and caught a flight to the city alone. He was going to Dubai-it.
Although he had a dream – of becoming a business owner – and plenty of courage to back it, Biswakarma didn’t have any experience or professional skills. He had to start with a paying job, and he found one as a cleaner for a restaurant.
He said: “It wasn’t a glamorous beginning, but I never looked down on the work I was doing. I believe that every honest job has dignity, and what matters is what you learn and where you go from there.”
But even as he worked, Biswakarma said he knew his first job wouldn’t be his last: “I was always curious and willing to learn. I kept looking for opportunities to improve myself. I didn’t know exactly where I would end up, but I knew I didn’t want to stop growing.”
When one door closed
In 2020, however, he hit a stumbling block. He contracted COVID-19, and was also let go from his job.
It was a difficult time – but instead of panicking or giving up, Biswakarma used the downtime to invest in himself. Once he recovered, and things started to get back to normal, he used his savings to join a culinary school and skill up.
He completed his diploma in hospitality – commercial cookery from the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) in Dubai in October 2023. Then, he became a chef.
The move to invest in himself was a turning point in his life. He said: “Something that initially felt like a setback pushed me towards a completely new opportunity. It taught me that sometimes, when one door closes, you need to be brave enough to find another one.”
Nine months of homework
The stability he enjoyed with his new profession was welcome, but it wasn’t his end game. Biswakarma began looking for the opportunity to start his own venture.
He said: “Staying in your comfort zone forever, without taking any risks, is actually the real risk – it can be more challenging in the long run. I didn’t want to spend my entire life wondering what I could have achieved if I had tried.”
So, he got to work. He spent nine months researching the holiday home industry. He learned from people who were already operating in Dubai, attended seminars, and networked and built connections with business owners who shared both the pitfalls and rewards of entering the industry.
Then, when he was ready, he quit his job. He registered his Airbnb holiday home company, and, using his savings, as well as his investments in stocks, bonds, and gold, he acquired his first unit in Dubai without taking on any loans.
Biswakarma said: “Leaving a stable job was definitely challenging. I had a regular income, and walking away from that security was not an easy decision.” But he took a calculated risk, built on the experience of others, and research – it was not a decision “based on excitement”. So, he was confident it would work.
The feeling of running his own company was thrilling, for Biswakarma. “I was not just working for someone else anymore, I was responsible for creating an experience for someone who had trusted my business.”
Guests first
Within six months, his property received ‘Superhost’ status and a special badge on Airbnb – signifying a top-rated host with outstanding hospitality credentials. He credits the achievement to his focus on customer service, right from the beginning: “I strongly believe that when someone pays for their stay, there should be no compromise on their experience. I always try to look at things from the guest’s perspective. What would I expect if I were paying for this stay?”
Since opening in August 2025, he has welcomed more than 300 guests.
But while growing and improving his holiday home operations, Biswakarma noticed a gap in the market.
“I found that one of the biggest challenges many holiday home operators faced was finding reliable housekeeping teams. Cleaning is a very important part of the short-term rental business. Guests expect hotel-level cleanliness, and apartments need to be prepared in a limited time, especially between check-out and check-in.”
He already knew people in the holiday home industry, and had a deep understanding of their requirements and the challenges they faced. “That’s how Smart Express Cleaning Services came into the picture.”
Biswakarma launched a specialised cleaning company late last year, focused entirely on holiday homes. He said: “We are building the company around one main goal: helping holiday home operators maintain consistent cleaning standards and reliable operations.”
Despite regional tensions earlier this year, his businesses have prospered, and Biswakarma credits Dubai’s ecosystem of support and stability for his own success: “Dubai has consistently shown that it is a city that plans ahead, adapts and keeps moving forward. The government continues to introduce initiatives and support businesses in different ways. I am grateful that I chose this city.”
Thinking bigger
When his cleaning enterprise gained Dh100,000 revenue within just a few months of launching, he said he remembers thinking: “‘Okay, this is actually working. There is a genuine demand for what we are offering.’ It was a moment that encouraged me to think bigger. Now, I am not just thinking about running two businesses. I am thinking about how to build proper systems, create employment opportunities and grow both companies sustainably.”
Today, nine years after he first arrived, Biswakarma is powering on, full steam ahead, living the Dubai-it dream he once saw play out in other people’s lives.
He said: “I came here in 2017 with very little… for me, Dubai is more than just a place where I earn a living. It is the place that gave me the opportunity to dream bigger and work towards making those dreams a reality. And I am glad I am here.”
