From 20 seats to 1,500 guests: The Emirati entrepreneur building a homegrown hospitality success story

Dubai: Start small, scale fast, dream big. For Emirati entrepreneur Ahmed Al Zarooni, those five words are more than a business slogan. They are the philosophy that has guided him from a childhood in Sharjah to co-founding The Creative House, a hospitality group that today operates 10 concepts and 17 branches across the UAE. The journey did not begin with investors, business plans or grand ambitions. It started around family dining tables, neighbourhood gatherings and a lesson from his father that would stay with him for life. "I was born and raised in Sharjah, and my childhood revolved around family, friends and our neighbourhood," Al Zarooni recalled. "We spent a lot of time together, often around food. Looking back, that connection between a meal and a sense of belonging feels very relevant to what we do in hospitality today." One childhood memory remains particularly vivid. "I was watching labourers doing physically demanding work," he said. "My father noticed my concern for them and used that moment to speak to me about taking my education and future seriously." The lesson was simple but powerful. "What stayed with me was an appreciation for hard work and the responsibility to make the most of the opportunities I had." Learning from every encounter Unlike many entrepreneurs who point to a single mentor, Al Zarooni prefers to learn from everyone around him. "I have never limited myself to one role model," he said. "I try to learn from everyone I meet. Sometimes you see a quality you want to develop; sometimes you see behaviour you want to avoid." One person who had a lasting influence was his brother-in-law, a motivational speaker and mentor who helped shape his thinking during the early stages of his career. Fresh out of university and struggling to adjust to corporate life, Al Zarooni found himself in a conversation that changed his perspective. "We had a long conversation about business, ambition and personal development," he said. "He also introduced me to books, including Think and Grow Rich." The discussion encouraged him to view his first job not as a final destination but as a stepping stone. "I began to see the first job as a place to build experience and discipline, with much more still ahead of me." Finding his path Business was not always part of the plan. When he finished school, Al Zarooni initially enrolled in engineering before quickly realising it was not the right fit. "It was around the time of the global financial crisis, and I became curious about how financial decisions could affect businesses and entire economies," he said. That curiosity led him to study finance with a minor in entrepreneurship at the American University of Sharjah. "I did not start university with a restaurant business in mind," he said. "Finance gave me a way to understand the commercial side of an opportunity, and entrepreneurship encouraged me to consider what I might build myself." "We often say, 'Start small, scale fast, dream big'. For me, that also means making sure the business can support the growth you are pursuing," says Al Zarooni. University also presented challenges, particularly public speaking. "My school experience had not prepared me for presentations, and I was so uncomfortable standing in front of a class that I failed my first public speaking course," he said. Rather than discourage him, the setback became motivation. "Today, I have addressed audiences at major national and international events in the presence of the UAE's leadership, senior government officials and heads of state," he said. "It reminds me that a skill you struggle with today can become a strength if you are willing to work on it." Building a career across industries Al Zarooni's professional journey has taken him through aviation, telecommunications, government entities, major events and real estate. His first role in the aviation sector taught him the importance of discipline, systems and execution. "The adjustment from university was significant," he said. "I had to become more organised, understand how decisions moved through an organisation and deliver within clear expectations." His career later included work in Abu Dhabi, followed by a role at Expo 2020 Dubai, where he helped support the participation of 192 countries and 13 international organisations. "Expo was a particularly valuable experience because of its scale and the range of people and organisations involved," he said. Those experiences eventually led him to Dubai Holding while also providing insights that would prove valuable in entrepreneurship. Turning a Family Idea into a Business The story of The Creative House began with Mara, a small home-based food business launched by his sister-in-law in 2014. His brother Adnan later helped turn the concept into a food cart for events and celebrations. But it was Al Zarooni who saw the potential for something bigger. "When I tried the sliders, I felt the product had real potential," he said. He encouraged the fami