Dubai: It’s been a little over six months, but 25-year-old Ishita Saha can already feel the ‘Dubai-it’ spirit rubbing off on her.The Indian business development manager landed in the city in November last year, looking to push herself professionally, but over time has noticed something she hadn’t planned for – Dubai quietly changes you.“You become more punctual because every minute matters. You become more respectful of different cultures because your colleagues, clients, and friends come from every corner of the world. You stop waiting for opportunities to come to you and start creating them yourself,” Saha said.That mindset, at its core, reflects the philosophy behind ‘Dubai-it’.Launched last month by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the initiative aims to pass Dubai’s work philosophy on to future generations.Defining ‘Dubai-it’ as a verb, Sheikh Mohammed defined it on social media as: “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.”Stepping beyond her comfort zoneAs a young girl growing up in India, Saha said her experience in life had been relatively sheltered.“I never lived in a hostel, and wouldn’t go out after 10pm,” she said.Dubai, on the other hand, gave her the chance to explore a city and all that it had to offer.“It is just so safe, I really enjoy the freedom I get here. I can literally roam around at 2am and feel so secure. It’s peaceful and people genuinely respect each other,” she said.The city has also taught Saha lessons that have altogether changed her perspective in life.Working in IT sales, she meets clients every day who are making the switch to AI, following Dubai’s latest push towards Agentic AI.“It has given me a wider scope to help companies that were still getting work done manually. I love that I am able to help them by adding value to their work, and they, too, get amazed to see the efficiency of the system. I meet new people, explore opportunities to grow personally and am always looking for new certification courses. So, there has definitely been a growth curve,” she said.When ambition becomes contagiousIt’s a pattern Saha has noticed around her as well – how Dubai’s ambition is reflected in every person who calls the city their home.“I have always been the person who gets influenced by those around her. Coming into a circle where everyone is focussed on their own growth motivates me to grow in every way – not just professionally, but how I interact with others and how I see myself,” she said.Most importantly, Saha says, people in Dubai are happy.“People enjoy their life; there is a focus on having a work-life balance. When I see the government trying to introduce a four-day working pattern, for example, it makes me realise how they actually care about people who live in the city and their happiness. These are the things that motivate me every day to give the best to my work and myself,” she said.And even as she settles into her relatively new life in Dubai, Saha is already thinking long term, hoping her parents will one day join her in the city.Professionally, she said, Dubai has taught her one lesson repeatedly: “No one cares where you came from. They care about the value you bring today.”While that can sometimes feel intimidating, she sees it equally empowering.“Looking back, I don’t think Dubai only changed my personality. It also revealed parts of me that I never knew existed,” she said.
