For Amy Morris, the “Dubai-it” philosophy is simple: stop talking and start doing.
The founder and CEO of Pop Up Global, an entertainment company that builds theatrical shows for cruise lines, theme parks and major events across the Middle East, built her business from a one-woman performer operation into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
“There was no moment where I felt ‘ready’,” she said. “I was very young, and I just started and built the rest while moving. That’s the whole philosophy. Perfect timing is a myth people use to justify staying still.”
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Morris, who expanded into the region three years ago after nine years in business elsewhere, said she experienced more genuine opportunity in her first year in Dubai than in all her previous years combined.
“I was surrounded by people who didn’t think small, who thought so big it opened my eyes to how small I’d actually been thinking,” she said. “That’s what this city does to you. Since I’ve been here, I’ve learnt that anything is possible, and more than that, it’s possible fast. And the single biggest shift in how I lead is that I no longer ask ‘Can we?’ I ask, ‘How fast?’
‘Speed and quality are not opposites but partners’
For Rohit Bachani, co-founder of Merlin Real Estate, the Dubai-it mindset means creating conditions rather than waiting for them.
“We started Merlin with a small shop and Dh10,000 in savings – no blueprint, just the conviction that an idea is worthless until you execute it,” he said.
“Dubai gives a young shopkeeper a stage few places on earth offer. It is somewhere your background matters less than your willingness to work and deliver.”
Born and raised in Dubai, Bachani said the city taught him that speed and quality are not opposites but partners.
“When an opportunity appears, I move quickly but never carelessly,” he said. “Here, speed and quality aren’t opposites; they’re partners.”
He credits the UAE’s leadership with instilling this discipline. “The biggest lesson is that promises mean nothing without delivery. ‘We say what we do, and we do what we say. ‘A metro line, a global Expo delivered through a pandemic—the pattern is always bold vision, precise action, no excuses,’ he said. “I’ve tried to carry that into business: set an ambitious target, then be relentless about meeting it.”
Dream big, move fast
Naresh Perwani, Founder and Chairman of Neoterra Developments, said Dubai taught him to not stay limited.
“Dubai teaches us that if we have a clear goal, we should not just keep thinking about it—we should start working on it and make it happen,” he said.
“The city keeps growing and improving, and it pushes you to do the same. My Dubai-it philosophy is simple: dream big, work hard, move fast, and make sure whatever you do is done properly.”
Perwani said Dubai reshaped his outlook towards business and life. “This city gives you confidence and teaches you discipline,” he said.
“Things here move fast, so you have to be prepared, professional and committed. Another big influence is the mix of people here. This teaches you to respect different ideas and learn from everyone.”
He said the city taught him to also look beyond profit. “It has taught me to create something useful, something people value, and something that adds positively to the city. Living here makes you want to do better every day.”
20 years of ambition
Ana Elisa Seixas, Head of Marketing for New Balance MEAI came to Dubai for what was meant to be a six-month internship. More than 20 years later, she’s still here.
“That mindset is one of the reasons I came to Dubai,” she said. “Dubai has always encouraged people to think bigger, move faster and focus on execution. It’s a city where ideas don’t stay ideas for very long.”
She pointed to New Balance’s Local Legends initiative, launched during recent regional turbulence to support local businesses. Within days, the company had mobilised its running community to drive awareness for struggling coffee shops and restaurants.
“That experience perfectly captured what ‘Dubai-it’ means to me: ambitious ideas, fast execution and a community that is always willing to come together to make things happen,” she said.
For all four residents, the message is the same: Dubai doesn’t just offer opportunity; it demands action.
“I’d rather launch something at 80 per cent and fix it in public than sit on it until it’s ‘perfect’ and watch someone else do it first,” Morris said.
Bachani echoed the sentiment. “Dubai didn’t just host my journey; it shaped my character. The discipline to keep raising my own bar comes directly from watching a city that simply refuses to stand still.”
Source: Khaleej Times