How Salama Al Abbar Became a UAE Entrepreneur Extraordinaire: The Rise of a Visionary Fashion Leader
In a region where entrepreneurship fuels economic growth and bold ideas shape new industries, few young leaders stand out as distinctly as Salama Al Abbar — a rising Emirati entrepreneur who transformed from financial analyst to fashion powerhouse by the sheer force of vision, resilience, and calculated risk-taking. His journey reflects the dynamism of the modern UAE economy, where emerging talents are rewriting the rules and redefining what it means to build a brand in Dubai’s fast-paced retail landscape.
Today, Salama heads multiple companies, operates multinational digital platforms, and remains a vocal advocate for empowering homegrown designers — all before turning 30. His story is more than entrepreneurial inspiration; it’s a blueprint for how passion, adaptability, and strategic thinking can write a new chapter in the Middle East’s creative economy.
From Finance to Fashion: The Bold Leap into the Unknown
Like many Emirati youths, Salama Al Abbar began his career following a traditional and respected path. He worked as a Financial Analyst at Ernst & Young, one of the world’s most competitive corporate environments. Surrounded by analytical minds, global case studies, and the high-pressure corporate lifestyle, he quickly realized that although finance sharpened his intellect, it did not ignite his passion.
“Real-life experiences are very different from university textbooks. I learned fast that corporate finance was not my calling. Fashion was something I felt deeply connected to — even if I didn’t yet know how I would enter the field.”
What truly shaped his early choices, however, was the influence of his father — a prominent UAE businessman known for his big-picture thinking, creative ambition, and relentless encouragement. He encouraged Salama and his siblings to pursue bold dreams, fail openly, learn quickly, and innovate relentlessly.
“My father has always taught us to dream fearlessly. Even in moments of doubt or failure, he reminded us to treat every setback as a lesson.”
This philosophy became the cornerstone of Salama’s entrepreneurial mindset.
First Venture: Marami — The Experiment That Built the Foundation
Salama’s first business, Marami, was a multi-brand accessories boutique in Dubai Mall. It didn’t become the empire he envisioned — but it became the classroom where he learned everything essential for his future success.
The boutique catered to a niche audience, but the market wasn’t large enough to sustain the investment. Eventually, he made the difficult but strategic decision to shut it down.
“Marami was my experiment. I learned sales, hiring, inventory planning, and the psychology behind retail shoppers. Closing it wasn’t failure — it was my foundation.”
Marami taught him the hard truths of entrepreneurship: location strategy, product-market fit, operational efficiency, and above all, humility. Many young entrepreneurs fall apart after their first failure. Salama did the opposite — he used it as fuel.
Symphony: The Breakthrough That Redefined UAE Luxury Retail
In 2019, Salama launched Symphony, a multi-brand luxury concept store in Dubai Mall — but this time, everything was different. Armed with experience, sharper instincts, and a deep understanding of GCC shoppers, he built a brand that resonated with the local market in a way larger international retailers often fail to do.
Symphony began with 20 brands. Today, it features 100+ curated labels, each selected with one question in mind:
“Would a local customer love this?”
This ultra-targeted curation became Symphony’s competitive advantage. While many luxury stores catered primarily to Western styles, Symphony focused on GCC fashion aesthetics — bold silhouettes, elegant fabrics, modest cuts, and contemporary interpretations of Arabian glamour.
“What makes Symphony unique is that we buy for our people. For the customers who walk the malls of Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Doha.”
Symphony quickly grew into one of the UAE’s most influential contemporary fashion concepts. It also cemented Salama Al Abbar as a serious force in luxury retail.
BySymphony.com & Buro 24/7: Building the Middle East’s Digital Fashion Landscape
Understanding that retail was shifting online, Salama expanded Symphony’s presence through BySymphony.com, an e-commerce platform offering curated luxury collections with Gulf consumer preferences in mind. This digital ecosystem allowed the brand to reach shoppers in KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, and beyond.
He also secured the franchise for Buro 24/7, the renowned global fashion and lifestyle media platform. Under his leadership, the publication began developing Arabic-language platforms, recognizing a major gap in high-quality fashion content for Middle Eastern audiences.
“When you search for luxury Arabic content, you find gossip sites and forums. There is a massive need for quality, editorial-style Arabic fashion coverage.”
By launching these platforms in Arabic, Salama positioned himself as one of the key architects of the region’s next-generation digital fashion economy.
A Champion for Local Talent: Elevating UAE Designers to the Global Stage
Behind every business Salama leads lies a consistent philosophy: create platforms, not just profits.
His collaborations with emerging Emirati designers, Arab creatives, and regional talent are central to his mission. He believes that Dubai has the potential to become a global fashion capital — but only if young designers receive the support, exposure, and education they need.
One of his most influential initiatives was collaborating with Vogue Italia to launch the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, an event dedicated to showcasing new designers from the region. Out of 40+ applicants, only four made it to the final selection — demonstrating both the quality and the competition within the UAE’s creative community.
However, Salama remains vocal about the challenges facing regional fashion:
“We lack fashion-focused universities. Young creatives need education in design, merchandising, costing, manufacturing, and brand development. Without that, it’s hard to build global-ready brands.”
His long-term vision is to see the UAE produce internationally recognized designers, whose brands compete in Paris, Milan, and New York Fashion Weeks.
Net Worth, Influence & Entrepreneurial Legacy
With an estimated net worth of $15 million, Salama Al Abbar’s financial success is the result of strategic leadership, disciplined risk-taking, and an ability to understand the evolving tastes of the GCC market.
Today, he leads:
- Symphony (luxury retail)
- BySymphony.com (e-commerce)
- Buro 24/7 Middle East (media & digital platform)
- Multiple fashion and lifestyle ventures across Dubai and GCC
Yet his true legacy is not wealth — it’s empowerment.
He continues to mentor emerging designers, support young entrepreneurs, and advocate for a more robust fashion ecosystem in the UAE. In doing so, he is shaping the future of Dubai as a creative, global fashion capital.
His transformation from a financial analyst to a fashion mogul proves that passion, resilience, and courage can rewrite your destiny.
FAQs About Salama Al Abbar & Related UAE Topics
1. Who is Salama Al Abbar?
Salama Al Abbar is a UAE-based male entrepreneur known for launching Symphony, BySymphony.com, and the Buro 24/7 Middle East franchise. He is influential in luxury retail and digital fashion innovation.
2. Who is the owner of Marami?
Marami was Salama Al Abbar’s first boutique business, serving as his early entrepreneurial experiment.
3. Is Mohamed Alabbar still with Emaar?
Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties (developer of Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall), remains one of the most influential businessmen in the UAE.
4. Who is the richest person in Dubai?
The title frequently fluctuates, but major contenders include members of Dubai’s ruling families and business tycoons like Majid Al Futtaim (before his passing).
5. Can you live in the Burj Khalifa?
Yes. The Burj Khalifa has residential apartments, Armani Residences, and premium penthouses available for both rent and ownership.
6. Which Dubai restaurant costs $2,000 per person?
Ultraluxury dining experiences such as the SKY TABLE or bespoke chef’s table experiences at Michelin-star restaurants can reach this figure.
7. How many wives can a Dubai man have?
Under UAE law, a Muslim man may have up to four wives, provided he can support them financially and treat them equally.
8. Who owns Noon in Saudi Arabia?
Noon.com was co-founded by Mohamed Alabbar in partnership with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.
9. What nationality is Salama Mohamed?
“Salama Mohamed” typically refers to the Emirati influencer and businesswoman. She is Emirati.
10. Is Eagle Hills owned by Emaar?
Eagle Hills is a private real estate investment company chaired by Mohamed Alabbar, but it is not owned by Emaar.
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