< Previous70 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 Property quality of infrastructure and future developments in the area. Property values are often closely linked to these factors, and savvy investors are looking beyond individual projects to under- stand the full potential of the area. The importance of trustworthy brokers As Dubai’s property sector continues to evolve, choosing the right broker is crit- ical to making a sound investment. Sharland stresses the importance of working with brokers who have a proven track record and a strong reputation. “Check reviews not only for companies but also for individual brokers. Doing your research can save you from a lot of headaches down the road,” he advises. A reliable broker will not only help navigate the complexities of the market but will also ensure that buyers are making informed decisions, minimising risks, and capitalising on opportunities. Is now the right time to buy in Dubai? Dubai’s real estate market continues to offer significant potential for investors, but it is essential to approach the market with a clear strategy and expert guidance. While the market is booming, experts warn that not every opportunity is a good one, and buyers should be cautious when evaluating new projects, particularly those from less experienced developers. By conducting thorough research, working with trusted brokers, and paying attention to warning signs, investors can make informed decisions and safeguard their investments. As Dubai’s real estate landscape continues to grow and change, staying informed and exercising caution will be key to navigating the market successfully. For those ready to enter the market, Dubai offers a range of opportunities, but the key to success lies in careful planning, attention to detail, and part- nering with the right professionals. As El Ghazi advises: “When investing in real estate, it’s very important to look at the bigger picture.” With the right approach, Dubai’s booming property market can yield substantial returns for those who are well-prepared. The biggest red flag is if the deal is too good to be true, it probably isn’t As Dubai’s property sector continues to evolve, choosing the right broker is critical to making a sound investment $94.2BN The total value of real estate transactions in Dubai in the first half of the year ABE_2511_66-70_Property red flags_13401729.indd 7029/09/2024 09:0272 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 Partner Content Understanding the hidden burden of schizophrenia and the urgency for early intervention in mental health care The quiet weight of schizophrenia The pandemic has forced many of us to reckon with the fragility of our minds and the systems we rely on, says O’Leary There are certain things that are not spoken enough about. Schizophrenia is one of them. Not because it doesn’t exist, but because it lingers at the edges of our lives, elusive and misunderstood. The disorder affects approximately 1 percent of the global population, ranking among the top 10 causes of global disability, yet it rarely breaches public consciousness – unless, of course, it can no longer be ignored. Like all things left unspoken, schizo- phrenia comes at a cost. Not just for those who live with it, but for the commu- nities that fail to adequately respond to its existence. Our recent report published in The Economist Impact on Rethinking Mental Health Care, turns the spotlight on this often-invisible burden. While the report wasn’t written for the Middle East – or any one region, for that matter – its findings ripple across borders, shedding light on the economic, social, and personal toll that schizophrenia exacts. The hidden cost of silence The numbers are stark. According to findings of the report, schizophrenia quietly drains economies of resources, its effects most apparent in lost productivity, missed opportunities, and the deep wells of unpaid caregiving. Those who suffer from the condition often face the reality of unemployment – unfortunately, an all-too-common outcome for individuals who cannot sustain stable work due to recurring episodes and cognitive decline. But beyond the spreadsheets and statis- BY DEREK O’LEARY, COUNTRY MANAGING DIRECTOR, BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM, INDIA, MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY, AND AFRICA tics lies something more profound: The unquantifiable cost of living with a disor- der that society fails to fully see. The burden of schizophrenia is not just economic; it is emotional, communal, and deeply human. Families become caregivers, stepping into roles they are not prepared for. Time, money, and energy are spent navigating the realm of the condition. The individual is swal- lowed by a condition that fragments the self, while those around them are left to pick up the pieces. Yet, doesn’t have to be this way. We know that early intervention works – both for the individual and for society. Addressing schizophrenia sooner, rather than later, can help individuals stay connected to their communities, their families, and their potential. And it can save the eventual costs of inaction. Early intervention, a simple solution What happens when we stop waiting for things to break before we fix them? In the sphere of mental health, particularly with disorder s like schizophrenia, the approach has long been reactive. Around 85 percent of those with schizophrenia will suffer some degree of cognitive impairment associated with schizophre- nia (CIAS), often emerging as one of the earliest signs. Yet, despite its prevalence, the under- standing of CIAS remains limited. This gap in awareness stalls every step toward intervention until the disorder has already dismantled the mind, until the financial and human costs have spiralled beyond control. The Economist Impact report offers an alternative – a focus on early diagnosis and sustained care that allows individuals to preserve stability and lead meaningful lives. But this is not just about treatment. It is about reimag- ining our relationship to mental health altogether. Schizophrenia should not be some- thing to fear or shun, but something to understand – something to meet with compassion rather than dread. A new path forward If there is one thing we’ve learned from the recent shifts in public health discourse, it is that mental health can no longer be an afterthought. The pandemic has forced many of us to reckon with the fragility of our minds and the systems we rely on. It has opened the door for a conversation about mental health that is overdue. Schizophrenia, too, belongs in this conversation. We must move beyond the fear, the myths, and the stigma, and confront it for what it is: A treatable condition, one that can be managed with the right support. The Economist Impact report reminds us that we have the tools to intervene, reforms to be made, to help people live meaningful lives despite their diagnosis. What remains is the will to act. As we stand at this crossroads, we face a choice. Will we continue to ignore schizophrenia’s quiet weight, leaving families and individuals to bear it alone? Or will we choose a different path – one that embraces the potential for healing, community, and change? The answer, as always, is ours to make. ABE_2511_72_Partner content - Boehringer Ingelheim_13400465.indd 7229/09/2024 09:03INTRODUCING EMIRATES NATURE-WWF'S ALL-NEW MERCHANDISE COLLECTION EMBRACING SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION AND CONSUMER GOODS74 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 Feature 74 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7429/09/2024 09:07arabianbusiness.com75 Feature Thirteen years ago, Noor Naim was homeless in Turkey. Now, she’s the top Arab female YouTuber with 60 million followers, aiming to become the region’s first social media billionaire Words by ANIL BHOYRUL Art by GERI B. SONNY arabianbusiness.com75 ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7529/09/2024 09:0876 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 Feature oor Naim’s voice starts to break. Her hands are trem- bling. The tears begin to drip across her otherwise perfect makeup. Just an hour earlier, the social media superstar exuded char m, class, elegance, and self-confi- dence. But suddenly – as we start to discuss her past – the flashbacks begin. “It was 2011. We were at an airport in Turkey, and we had been there all day, with my sister, brother, and my mother. She was in a wheelchair. We were cold, we were hungry, and we were scared. Someone was supposed to pick us up, but nobody came. I kept saying, ‘Oh God, why us, why me? What did I do to go through all of this, and I am not even 14 years old?’ But now I see, everything happens for a reason.” Whatever the reason, a lot has happened. Three years later, in Michi- gan, Naim made her first-ever YouTube video. And today, at just 27, Naim – better known as Noor Stars – is the biggest Arab female YouTube star on the planet, with 21.1 million subscrib- ers to her channel. Add to that nearly 16 million on Instagram, 3.4 million on Facebook, 10.3 million on TikTok, and 3 million on Snapchat – combined with her podcasts – Naim has nearly 60 million followers across her multiple platforms. Little wonder that brands including PlayStation, Estée Lauder, Hisense, Clar- ins, and Aldo have been queuing up to be associated with her. She was also featured in L’Oréal Paris’s first-ever Ramadan 2024 campaign and is part of the new Netflix series Super Rich in Korea. 76 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 In Focus ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7629/09/2024 09:08arabianbusiness.com 77 Feature From super lonely to superstardom, Naim is no longer cold, but she is as hungry as ever – for even more success. “I want to be the most successful female YouTuber in the world, not just the region,” she says, with her sights firmly set on Kimberly Loaiza, who has 45 million subscribers. As for the master plan? “I want to be the highest YouTube earner of all time. Money is a status of success. It’s not the money I am after, but it is a measure of success. I want to be a billionaire; I am capable of it. All the hunger, the dirt, the restless nights, the fear. The loneliness. Now I accept this is what made me. I am unbreakable,” she says. Reaching her goals would mean doubling her YouTube subscriber base just to draw level with Loaiza, and as for becoming a social media billionaire, she is striding into Logan and Jake Paul terri- tory. Big goals and big dreams. But given her remarkable story so far, and how she has gone from zero to 60 million in no time, only a fool would bet against her. If being stranded at an airport in Turkey was a low point, it was just one of many. Originally from Iraq, Naim and her family fled the country in 2005 during the war when she was just eight years old. They moved to Syria, where some of her family had relocated. Six years later, they were on the move again after civil war broke out there, heading to Turkey, where the family was eventu- ally placed in a refugee camp. Her mother gave her an iPhone that the family was paying $25 a month for, and she created and uploaded her first-ever video, "What’s on my iPhone," in Arabic. It got over 50,000 views arabianbusiness.com 77 Noor Stars ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7729/09/2024 09:0878 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 FeatureIn Focus 78 Vol. 25/11, October 2024 ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7829/09/2024 09:08arabianbusiness.com 79 Feature “I think we spent two and a half years in Turkey. It was very tough. I was hungry. It was hard to get food, and we had no money. So, I had to work illegally at the age of 14. My first job was in a beauty salon. I didn’t know what I was doing; I just pretended I did. I didn’t speak the language. If they asked for a chair, I would bring a plate, and they would scream at me. I would go to the bathroom and cry, then come back and smile. Because that’s what I had to do, to keep the job,” she says. Eventually, the family was accepted as part of a UN relocation programme to be moved to the US, initially landing in Seattle and later moving to Michigan. “I dreamt of going to the USA and being in that yellow bus going to high school. When it happened, I thought, yes, this is the American dream. I thought it would be like the movies. But it wasn’t. It was another zero, we had to start from zero. America is a hard coun- try, and you have to work hard for any opportunity,” she says. Naim attended high school in Mich- igan, but with limited English, it became another challenge. She explains: “I was very lonely. I imagined it to be glamorous, but it wasn’t. I was going through a lot of issues and all the traumas I had been through; I was just angry. I felt I wasn’t learning how to speak English properly. The teachers told me to do extra work and learn more English by watching YouTube. It was there that I saw for the first time a video done by a creator; it was a makeup tutorial. I thought, who is this? That led me to discover this new world, to discover makeup, to discover the camera and videos.” It was a discovery that would change her life forever. Her mother gave her an iPhone that the family was paying $25 a month for, and she created and uploaded her first-ever video, “What’s on my iPhone,” in Arabic. It got over 50,000 views. “It was my escape. It was my little secret, my thing. Nobody knew about it,” she says. been on an even greater upward trajec- tory. Today, Noor Stars is not just a YouTube channel but a mega-brand. She has nine full-time staff, is raking in millions of dollars each year, and has one of the biggest platforms any female has ever achieved in the Arab world. It has also meant huge changes to how she operates. “I am the leader of a team now. Being a leader of people is harder than being a content creator. With content creation, you have to learn a lot by yourself. This team looks up to me as their leader. I need to lead them every day, give them the best environment to work in, and care for them,” she says, adding: “Yes, I have had to fire people. It’s hard, it’s very hard, but you have to do it. But I am more ruth- less now,” she says. As for fame, she says: “You cannot hide being famous. I am comfortable with it now, but it really hit me when I first moved to Dubai. When you are famous, you must adapt, and it was a big culture shock. I got a lot of attention when I first moved here. It felt like a lot of pressure. Fame can be very powerful, and it can be very dangerous. You have to know this.” She adds: “When you get to this posi- tion, with money and success, it’s very hard to trust people, but I try to not let it consume me. But there are good people. I have a small circle, and it gets smaller and smaller. You need people that care for you, not just people who are there for you in the good times.” So what’s next for Naim? At 27, she has already achieved more than most people twice her age and has earned enough to never work again. But you get the feeling she is only just getting started. She says: “I am passionate about people, listening to them, their stories. I am trying to understand my purpose more. I think I am here to affect other people’s lives and help them as much as I can to achieve their goals. I’ve been through a lot, and I still made it. If I can do it, you can. Anyone can.” Noor Stars After borrowing some cash from her mother – who still didn’t know about her other life as a content creator – she purchased a cheap camera during Black Friday and started posting more regu- larly. After a year, her videos began to be shared on Facebook, attracting hundreds of thousands of views. Two years later, Google approached her with a $50,000 deal. “I was screaming. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I realised then that this was not just a passion, but a business and a career. And I used the money as a down payment for a house for the family. That was my goal, for us to finally have our own home,” she says. In 2021, with her career as an influ- encer now in full swing, the family relo- cated to Dubai, and since then, she has arabianbusiness.com 79 ABE_2511_74-79_Noor Stars_13397713.indd 7929/09/2024 09:08Next >