{"id":735128,"date":"2026-08-12T01:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T01:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/735128\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T01:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T01:44:10","slug":"dubai-it-bring-your-ideas-and-build-why-this-26-year-old-founder-chose-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/735128\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai-it: ‘Bring your ideas and build’ \u2013 why this 26-year-old founder chose Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swiss entrepreneur Joanna Rubin says Dubai\u2019s speed, openness to new ideas and AI-powered opportunities have transformed how quickly she can turn ideas into reality<\/p>\n

Dubai: \u201cThat seems kind of risky.\u201d\u00a0That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Dubai, she says, flips the script.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting 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, \u2018Are you sure you want to do that?\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

From Z\u00fcrich to Boston, and then Dubai<\/p>\n

The 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 Z\u00fcrich.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been incredible, to be honest,\u201d she said. \u201cEven better than I expected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The one word that Rubin can\u2019t help but use to describe her experience so for is \u2018easy\u2019 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just a very good mix of people here, who are very open to ideas and have a lot of energy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

With a strong focus on AI, Rubin has already started two projects with business partners in Dubai \u2013 a recruitment platform and an affiliate programme aimed at connecting brands with businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recruitment platform was the one I started first, two months ago. Just yesterday, we had the first pitch, which went really well and we\u2019ll hopefully find investors to grow the business,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Turning ideas into action<\/p>\n

For 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Which is why the Dubai-it philosophy was particularly relatable to the young tech founder.<\/p>\n

Launched in June this year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum<\/a>, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai-it initiative aims to pass on Dubai\u2019s philosophy of work to future generations.<\/p>\n

Describing it as a verb, Sheikh Mohammed said that to \u2018Dubai-it\u2019 is \u201cto achieve something extraordinary with excellence in record time. It\u2019s about turning big ideas into reality, just like Dubai\u2019s incredible transformation from desert to global city in a short span.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Dubai-it every day<\/p>\n

\"InIn 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: Supplied<\/p>\n

Her typical day in Dubai also reflects that same shift in mindset. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u2019s one happening,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have definitely changed my pace a lot since moving here. There is always so much happening and there are so many opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it is not simply the number of opportunities in Dubai that has struck her. The biggest difference is the openness she\u2019s witnessed to new ideas, including those that might initially sound outlandish.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She says even the language she hears at networking events reflects that mindset.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou notice it in the way people discuss ideas. They will say, \u2018Yes, we\u2019re only at the beginning right now, but we know we can go far.\u2019 It\u2019s very much about everyone working together and building things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Bring your ideas and help build\u2019<\/p>\n

Driving home from these events always leaves Rubin with a thrill \u2013 of meeting new people, being exposed to new ideas, and having just expanded her quickly growing network.<\/p>\n

Having experienced other tech hubs across the world, the difference in access startups get here is stark.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, 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: \u2018Bring your ideas and help build.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely want to stay and make more of the environment,\u201d she said. \u201cI also want to explore more of the country \u2013 the different cities and the nature side of things.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI just feel like everyday life is so exciting. It makes me very excited about the future \u2013 for me personally, but also for the UAE.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Swiss entrepreneur Joanna Rubin says Dubai\u2019s speed, openness to new ideas and AI-powered opportunities have transformed how quickly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":735129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[84,4203,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-735128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-business","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=735128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=735128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=735128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=735128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}