Sometimes known as the city of skyscrapers or the capital of luxury, Dubai is becoming home to burgeoning arts and culture due in large part to trailblazers like Butheina Kazim. She is the founding member of Cinema Akil, Dubai’s first art house cinema, revolutionizing the country’s cultural landscape with the inclusion of independent and alternative cinema. Valuable contributions to the arts other than cinema include television, radio, and documentary filmmaking. Butheina’s tale is that of passion, creativity, and the will to bring diverse voices forward.

Butheina Kazim launched the Cinema Akil in the year 2014 to fill the cultural gap in Dubai’s entertainment scene. It is unlike mainstream cinemas around this city; it is rather a haven for cinephiles who yearn for something more than blockbuster films. It showcases selected independent, foreign, and classic films that would not normally reach the audience in the Middle East. This is a cinema that is to become at once a place of culture, bringing together eclectic persons who seek to see, through different eyes, via the medium of film. Cinema Akil started with a series of pop-up screenings all over Dubai, finding its eventual permanent home in Alserkal Avenue-a bustling arts area within the city. Indeed, eclectic cinema was programmed as inclusively ranging across the world from documentaries to retrospectives, even in the experimental works. Such eclectic sense of programming has made Cinema Akil a beacon to those seeking alternative narratives and voices, placing it as a critical player in the region’s cultural dialogue.

Long before founding Cinema Akil, Butheina Kazim had already begun her journey into the world of cinema and culture, by returning from studies in New York to the UAE and launching a career in television and radio. It was her work in the media that laid the ground for later pathways; it was through this medium that she gained the resources and insight through which she could survey and shape the UAE’s cultural landscape. As much as Butheina is dedicated to activism, so cinema is. She has conceptualized global cinema pop-ups to bring independent films to new audiences and create areas of cultural exchange. This does not go unnoticed, and she has been invited onto several prestigious international film festivals as a jury member, shaping the global conversation on cinema.

Butheina Kazim’s journey into the world of cinema and culture began long before she founded Cinema Akil. After completing her studies in New York, she returned to the UAE and embarked on a career in television and radio. Her work in media laid the groundwork for her later ventures, providing her with the skills and insights needed to navigate and influence the cultural landscape of the UAE. Butheina’s passion for cinema is matched by her dedication to advocacy. She has curated cinema pop-ups on a global scale, bringing independent films to new audiences and creating spaces for cultural exchange. Her work has not gone unnoticed; she has been invited to serve as a jury member at several prestigious international film festivals, where she has helped shape the global conversation around cinema. In 2010, Butheina produced the short documentary “Letters to Palestine,” an evocative exploration into identity, belonging, and resistance. This film gained international acclaim because of its touching storytelling and capturing of almost all the complexities involved in the Palestinian experience. The project testifies to Butheina’s commitment to using cinema as an agency for social change and her belief in the power of storytelling to bridge divides.


Butheina Kazim has been recognized through a number of major contributions in the field of the arts. Her work has been underscored by prizes that praise cultural effectiveness, both in the UAE and worldwide. These awards are a testimony to a leadership of vision and an ability to translate passion for the arts into concrete and impactful projects, crossing across diverse audiences. Cinema Akil, under Butheina’s mentorship, has taken this role: gone from being an influencer of Dubai’s cultural scene into one of the greater Middle East film scenes. The cinema has hosted a wide range of film festivals, film discussions, workshops, etc., and in the process creates a pool of filmmakers, critics, and independent film enthusiasts. This results in a grassroots-powered platform in which ideas are shared, and creativity is celebrated in all forms.

PappaRoti is one of the few brands that has established a distinct segment in the context of coffeehouses in today’s highly competitive global economy. Standing at the centre of this success story is Rasha Al Danhani, a phenomenal Malaysian businesswoman turned global fashion mogul. Al Danhani with her excellent business acumen and strong will converted a coffee-coated bun into a global sensation along with revolutionizing the café culture.

The history of PappaRoti started in the year 2003 in Malaysia with the primary products of buns and beverages. Despite putting forward quality products, the brand could not make a passionate mark. The year 2009 was marked by the entry of Rasha Al Danhani: a woman who wanted not only a normal life but something extraordinary. While purchasing the brand, she aimed at establishing a new generation coffeehouse based on a single product, the famous coffee-coated bun. This store was established in Dubai Mall, and it first commenced its operation as a small kiosk with only five employees. This humble setup was, however, the genesis of a world conglomerate. Crispy outer brown layer of a bun that has been baked to perfection served with a warm cup of coffee. This simplistic menu was well received by the customers, and PappaRoti became an instant favourite spot.

Uniqueness is PappaRoti’s key differentiator given that the company mainly specializes in coffee-coated bun. This cake which is as light as a feather, with the crispy layer on the outside and a rich smell of coffee inside has become the signature of the brand. Happily, quality was not compromised since Rasha Al Danhani was determined to repeat the same uniqueness seen in Dubai to New York buns which were baked freshly on site. Al Danhani did not limit himself to the above success factor; there she made numerous toppings and fillings for the buns thus giving the customers option to choose from. These are ranging from chocolate flavours to cheese flavours and this way, it reduces the repetitive nature of the menu. Such action has ensured that PappaRoti has been providing change constantly to ensure that it attracts more people while maintaining those that had been previously served.

 Over the space of five years alone PappaRoti rapidly expanded throughout the Middle east and Eastern Asia reaching more than 200 outlets. Such a swift growth was achieved by Al Danhani owing to the leader’s vision and the opportunity to meet the emerging market’s specific niche demands for high-quality cafes. She made sure that adopting the company to the different countries did not erode the foundation of the brand but appeal to people across the world. Before the year 2020 escalated, PappaRoti opened more than 400 Stores and kiosks in various countries including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, and Brazil etc. Such global presence make PappaRoti as one of the market leader coffeehouse that is operating in fresh environment with unique product that is nearly impossible to replicate.

 As we have seen, Rasha Al Danhani has made the establishment of PappaRoti a worthy business success story, but much more than that, it is a success story that inspires other women business aspirants. Her story reflects how a great vision together with passion and patience can help transform an idea into a world-class enterprise. Al Danhani has now become an inspiration to many women out there who want to engage in business.

Najila Al Midfa now serves as the CEO of Sheraa, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center board member and Vice Chairman for Young Arab Leaders; her impact is vast and far-reaching to shape the future of the entrepreneurship and develop talents in the UAE. Apart from leadership, Al Midfa is the spirited founder of Khayarat which is a platform matching Emirati talents to organizations seeking to hire the best professionals.

 Accomplished Sheraa caretaker, Najila Al Midfa, concentrates her efforts in discovering and moulding the next generations of innovators. Through Sheraa’s leadership, Sheraa has expanded to become one of the most concentrated entrepreneurs of an innovative economy in Sharjah and other areas. It provides proper tools and support as well as connections that one needs in order to transform the business concepts into viable enterprises. Sheraa thereby plays a big role in nurturing the environment of entrepreneurship that contributes to the process of economic development of the region and the diversification process in particular. Being is the Vice Chairman of Young Arab Leaders, Al Midfa expands her reach more than being in the board of directors of the company. It was to ensure that the visions of positive change by the young leadership from the Arab world was enhanced by the needed skills and knowledge; the organization was to support these captains to be able to address the existing challenges. Regarding this, Al Midfa’s implication demonstrate her concern toward building leadership capacities and fostering organisational culture of collaboration and creativity among the youths.

Khayarat was launched by Najila Al Midfa and it has been having immense responsibilities of arranging the opportunities for Emirati talent in different fields and with different companies. It fits in with the very real demand emerging in the UAE job market – of finding people with the right skill sets and matching those with organizations that seek to tap into local intelligence and experience. Al Midfa is not only moving many steps forward in the ladder between employee and employer in the case of Khayarat but also progressing profoundly in transforming the talent development ladder in the whole region by empowering local professionals.

 Najila Al Midfa has till now developed an outstanding career and, therefore, her potential and experiences are vast and diverse. Her professional experience with organizations of this world’s fame like Google, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, McKinsey & Company, PwC, and Shell makes her background very rich as related to business and entrepreneurship. Therefore, she had armed herself with the right knowledge and experience in bring positive change and implementing new ideas. We can use this example to see that her job at Google made her appreciate the field of technology and things which beasts change over time. Likewise, she has learnt enterprise development and support for start-ups during her time at Khalifa Fund. Moreover, she has gained good experience from dealing with McKinsey & Company, PwC and SHELL that has developed her ability on strategic thinking and problem solving.  Najila Al Midfa continues the forming of the proper entrepreneurial environment and qualified human resources in the UAE as the leader and an entrepreneur. Her goal is simple, to foster a world in which everyone, especially budding entrepreneurs get a platform to positively impact society in his or her own style. With her experience based on a broad diverse background, Al Midfa is ready and eager to unlock doors of creativity, cooperation and capacity that will ensure the growth of not only the local but also the global community.