Dubai’s high-end fit-out sector is booming, but creating exceptional spaces requires more than materials and design. Every project comes with tight deadlines, discerning clients, and complex execution challenges.

In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, Aziz Zacca, Founder & Managing Partner of Indoors High End Finishing, sits down with host George Hojeige to share his journey and expertise in Dubai’s premium fit-out industry. Aziz discusses his engineering background, career progression, and the lessons learned while building a company delivering high-quality residential and commercial projects.

He shares the most stressful aspects of the industry, the challenges of starting a fit-out business, behind-the-scenes insights clients rarely see, and strategies for planning projects effectively. Aziz also reflects on his most intense projects and the trends shaping the future of luxury interiors.

If you’re interested in interior design, project management, or entrepreneurship in Dubai, this is an episode you should not miss.

Guest: Aziz Zacca, Founder & Managing Partner, Indoors High End Finishing Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Dubai’s venture capital ecosystem is growing rapidly, but investing in startups is about far more than capital and connections. Behind every decision are uncertainty, pressure, and long-term responsibility.

In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, Zafer Younis, Founder of Silicon Valley Venture & Innovation (SVVI), sits down with host George Hojeige to unpack how the venture capital industry really works. Zafer shares his background, career progression, and the realities of building judgment in a high-stakes investment environment.

He discusses the scariest moments in venture capital, the biggest risks investors take, and the most common mistakes made when backing early-stage companies. The conversation offers an honest look at how decisions are made, what separates disciplined investors from reactive ones, and the lessons learned through experience.

If you're interested in venture capital, startups, investing, or understanding how major funding decisions are made, this is an episode you should not miss.

Guest: Zafer Younis, Founder, Silicon Valley Venture & Innovation (SVVI)

Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Dubai’s content creator scene is growing rapidly, but building a real career takes more than viral moments and trending formats. Behind every successful creator are consistency, strategy, and a willingness to make sacrifices.

In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, Denisa Alexe, comedian and content creator, sits down with host George Hojeige to share her journey from a background in marketing to building a full-time career in content creation. Denisa breaks down how she found her voice through comedy, transitioned into digital storytelling, and turned creativity into a sustainable career.

She discusses monetising comedy content, choosing brand partnerships without losing authenticity, and managing the pressure of being constantly online. Denisa also opens up about burnout, the biggest mistakes creators make, and the type of content that helps creators grow long-term.

If you're interested in content creation, personal branding, or turning creativity into a career, this is an episode you should not miss.

• Guest: Denisa Alexe, Comedian & Content Creator
• Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone an Ascentium Company

• 00:00 Intro and Denise’s background in marketing
• 04:30 Transition into content creation and comedy
• 12:38 Monetizing comedy and content
• 15:31 The sacrifices behind being a full-time creator
• 20:56 What content creators should focus on
• 25:35 The biggest mistakes creators make
• 30:12 Staying authentic with brand deals
• 37:00 Dealing with burnout
• 40:45 Advice for aspiring creators

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com
• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE

In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, host George Hojeige speaks with Gosia Golda, founder of the MMG Group, about the evolution of Dubai’s creative industry and the business behind building a global talent ecosystem from the ground up.

Gosia shares her journey from arriving in Dubai as a young talent in 2003 to launching MMG Models, MMG Artists, and MMG Talent. The group has grown into a global creative powerhouse with operations across Dubai, London, Paris, and Miami. She explains how the city reshaped her ambitions, the early challenges of building a business with no safety net, and the resilience required to grow organically in a competitive and rapidly changing industry.

The conversation explores what it takes to run a specialist creative company in Dubai, from navigating misconceptions and industry pressures to balancing authenticity, leadership, and commercial expectations. Gosia reflects on rebuilding after setbacks, protecting company culture, and staying grounded in a world shaped by social media and constant visibility. The episode closes with honest advice for young women entering the creative and talent industries.

• Guest: Gosia Golda, Founder, MMG Group
• Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Timestamps (Chapters)

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview
• 02:36 Choosing Dubai and Finding Opportunities
• 05:25 Launching MMG and Building from Scratch
• 07:39 Risks Growth and Global Expansion
• 09:41 Pressure Mindset and Resilience
• 13:11 Authenticity Image and Social Media
• 16:36 What Sets MMG Apart
• 19:06 Leadership Team Culture and Rebuilding
• 24:23 Strategy Partnerships and Scaling
• 30:05 Proudest Projects and Future Vision
• 33:11 What Drives Gosia
• 38:29 Boundaries Values and Saying No
• 40:06 Advice for Young Women and Closing Thoughts

Connect and Next Steps

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com
• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE

Dubai is a city where success, ambition, and personal style often intersect and few industries reflect this more clearly than luxury watch trading. In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, George Hojeige sits down with Dean Bramley, Founder of Bramley Luxury Goods, for an unfiltered conversation about luxury, risk, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a trusted name in Dubai’s high-value trading market.

Dean shares his journey from growing up in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK to working across Australia, Taiwan, and the Middle East in the automotive industry before making a bold and unexpected pivot into luxury watches. From working with global brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, and McLaren to being made redundant with a family to support, Dean opens up about the turning points that forced him to rethink everything.

The conversation explores how trust can be both the biggest asset and the most expensive mistake in luxury trading, why cash flow—not profit—is the real challenge behind high-value deals, and how the watch market truly works behind the scenes. Dean breaks down common misconceptions around luxury watches as “investments,” explains how pricing and rarity actually drive value, and reveals the realities of scams, misinformation, and ethics in the industry.

From flipping his first watch on his parents’ sofa to building Bramley into a respected luxury goods brand with an upcoming flagship store in Dubai Marina, this episode offers honest insights into resilience, reputation, and building long-term credibility in one of the world’s most competitive luxury markets.

If you’re interested in founder stories, luxury trading, or the realities of entrepreneurship in Dubai, this episode delivers a raw and grounded perspective without the gloss.

Guest: Dean Bramley, Founder, Bramley Luxury Goods Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

• 00:00 Luxury, status, and why watches matter in Dubai
• 03:10 Dean’s early life in the UK and first ambitions
• 06:20 From automotive engineering to luxury car brands
• 09:40 Moving countries and exposure to global luxury markets
• 13:30 Redundancy in Dubai and hitting reset
• 17:00 Entering the watch trading world
• 20:40 Trust, risk, and the most costly early mistake
• 24:20 Status vs passion: why people really buy luxury watches
• 27:40 How watch value, rarity, and timing really work
• 31:20 Luxury myths and the reality of the watch market
• 34:30 Building Bramley, reputation, and long-term credibility
• 37:00 Final reflections and closing thoughts

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com
• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE

Dubai is a city where image, confidence, and first impressions matter, and few industries reflect that more than aesthetic dentistry. In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, George Hojeige sits down with Dr. Karim Fekih, Doctor of Dental Medicine and Founder of Smile Design Boutique Dubai, to explore the real business behind premium dentistry in the UAE.

Dr. Karim shares his journey from studying dentistry in France to building and scaling high end clinics in Dubai, including the early risks, funding challenges, and strategic decisions that shaped his career. He opens up about the realities of running a medical business in a highly competitive market, the psychology behind patient expectations, and why trust and ethics matter more than trends.

The conversation dives into the evolution of veneers and cosmetic dentistry, common misconceptions around pricing and procedures, and how longevity and minimal intervention are shaping the future of aesthetic medicine. From launching clinics during financial crises to redefining what a “perfect smile” really means, this episode offers honest insights into entrepreneurship, resilience, and building a premium healthcare brand in Dubai.

If you’re interested in founder stories, healthcare entrepreneurship, or how niche businesses succeed in the UAE, this episode delivers a thoughtful and unfiltered perspective.

Guest: Dr. Karim Fekih, Founder, Smile Design Boutique Dubai

Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Timestamps

00:00 Dubai, confidence and the power of a smile

03:45 Karim’s journey from France to practicing dentistry in Dubai

07:30 Opening clinics during financial crises and early funding challenges

11:40 Building trust, ethics and patient relationships in aesthetic dentistry

15:55 The real cost of opening and scaling a dental clinic in Dubai

19:40 Veneers myths, pricing misconceptions and what patients get wrong

24:30 Psychology, confidence and why dentistry goes beyond teeth

28:10 Mistakes, contractors and lessons learned the hard way

32:20 The future of aesthetic dentistry, longevity and minimal intervention

36:10 What makes a perfect smile and final reflections

Connect and Next Steps

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com

• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE

Dubai’s cigar culture has grown into a sophisticated, fast-moving niche, and The Leaf Master has become one of the region’s most recognised names in this space. In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, George Hojeige sits down with Ra’ed Saqfelhait to uncover how a former CFO and global finance executive reshaped his life, stepped away from the corporate world and built a thriving cigar brand from the ground up.

Ra’ed shares the story of discovering New World cigars in New York, launching a business with just seven SKUs, the early challenges of entering a highly regulated industry and the persistence required to scale in a market where expectations are high and competition moves fast. He opens up about personal turning points, the realities of entrepreneurship in Dubai, navigating setbacks and the importance of passion, structure and long-term vision.

From corporate boardrooms to boutique cigar lounges, this conversation is a deep look at reinvention, resilience and what it truly takes to build a business in Dubai’s unique landscape. If you enjoy founder stories and honest insights into the industries shaping the UAE, this episode delivers a compelling and unfiltered perspective.

Guest: Ra'ed Saqfelhait, Founder and Managing Partner, The Leaf Master Tobacco Trading LLC

Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction to Dubai’s cigar culture
• 02:10 Ra’ed’s journey from Kuwait to Cairo to Wall Street
• 06:30 Leaving corporate life after major personal challenges
• 09:20 Discovering New World cigars in New York
• 12:05 Launching The Leaf Master with seven SKUs
• 15:40 Navigating excise tax, VAT and tobacco regulations
• 19:25 Scaling to 900 plus SKUs and opening boutiques across the UAE
• 23:10 Recruitment difficulties and the post-COVID shift in workforce mindset
• 28:45 Competition, copycats and staying ahead in Dubai’s fast-paced market
• 31:30 Legacy, family, international recognition and the Dubai World Cigar Show

Connect and Next Steps

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com
• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE

In this episode of Real Talk Dubai, George Hojeige speaks with Charbel El Hachem about the booming holiday home market and the intricacies of the short-term rental industry in the UAE.

Charbel shares his unconventional journey from a 13-year tenure in the banking sector to the nightlife industry, and finally to hospitality. He discusses how casually renting out a room in his Beirut apartment on Airbnb sparked a passion for interior design and hosting, eventually leading to the creation of Dayf — a guest-centric short-term rental management company.

The conversation explores the transition from operating in Lebanon during economic turmoil to entering the hyper-competitive Dubai market. Charbel breaks down the business model of managing investment properties for ROI-driven owners, the challenges of inventory retention, and the operational intensity required to maintain "Superhost" status across a growing portfolio.

George and Charbel also discuss the importance of quality control over quantity, the emotional weight of guest reviews, and the future of the industry in the region, including expansion into Saudi Arabia. The episode closes with a humorous story involving a goat in an apartment and a candid reflection on the relentless pace and rewarding nature of building a business in Dubai.

Guest: Charbel El Hachem, Founder of Dayf Host: George Hojeige, Group CEO, Virtuzone, an Ascentium Company

Timestamps (Chapters)

• 00:00 – Introduction and guest overview
• 01:45 – Leaving a 13-year banking career and the search for passion
• 04:35 – The accidental Airbnb host: From one room to a business in Beirut
• 09:00 – Launching "Dayf" in 2021 and the move to Dubai
• 13:18 – Differences between the Beirut and Dubai real estate markets
• 14:01 – Challenges of setting up and operating in Dubai
• 16:41 – The biggest mistake: Not letting go earlier
• 17:55 – Crazy story: The goat in the apartment
• 19:33 – It’s the wild west: Different investor profiles and risk appetites
• 21:40 – Only 20% of short-term rental operators know what they’re doing
• 22:12 – The future of Dayf and the service industry
• 25:49 – Maintaining the “Superhost” title and five-star experience
• 28:07 – Silent killers of an Airbnb business
• 29:34 – Reality of doing business in Dubai: Sink or swim
• 31:50 – The price of chasing success in Dubai

Connect and Next Steps

• Learn more about business setup and growth in the UAE: virtuzone.com
• Follow Real Talk Dubai for more conversations with founders and industry leaders shaping the UAE