Sarah Aradi
from Ethiopia landed in Dubai in 1993 as a 21-year-old with only $500 and a
zest for a better life.
She clearly
remembers the old Dubai with fewer people around and the strong sense of
community that existed. Sarah loved to cook her authentic Ethiopian cuisine and
it was when her friends loved the food that she thought of opening her first Al
Habasha restaurant in 1999.
To put
together the capital for her business, she started exporting VHS tapes (Video
Home System) of Indian films to Ethiopia as there was a huge demand for
Bollywood movies.
"I set
up a video shop in Ethiopia as films by Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Shah
Rukh Khan were hot sellers. We even had the Indian ambassador in Ethiopia
waiting for our VHS to be delivered."
After VHS
phased out, she exported CDs, mobile phones, branded sunglasses etc. In 1999,
Sarah put out the first restaurant in Dubai in the Naif area, near Deira. It
was a small operation but eventually the restaurant got rave reviews and had
people coming from other emirates to taste her food. The second restaurant was
again in Dubai in the Frij Murar area.
"Our
business was booming and we made more than Dh100,000 monthly, which was a good
amount for that time. I remember we bought our first Mercedes ML series with
the profits from the first restaurant."
Eventually,
the Ethiopian community grew and number of restaurants kept growing and today
Sara has nine restaurants, spread across the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman,
Sharjah and Ras Al Khaima. And it is not just the Ethiopians who come for their
fix but the local Emiratis and other expats who have developed a taste for the
spicy cuisine.
When she
looks back at her journey of nearly three decades, she takes pride in being a
successful entrepreneur in the UAE.
"I came
to Dubai as a single woman and became a millionaire. Most people wait for money
but I worked hard to change my life. Starting at zero, I am the owner of nine
restaurants today and it makes me proud."
Away from
her home, the expansion of her business keeps her going and she attributes it
to UAE and the government.
"If you
are working hard and in the legal way by the rule of Dubai, nobody will touch
you. The country is free for any expat to set up their business legally and the
UAE government supports you."
UAE might be
a second home for her but she considers it her native country.
Source:
Khaleej Times
0 Comments