Behind every front door lies a story of hope, hard work, and the determination to build a new future in Dubai.
Behind every front door is a story of ambition, change, and the search for a place to call home. For four residents of DAMAC communities in Dubai, that story includes building a career from scratch, turning social media into a profession, rediscovering creativity through interior design, and continuing to test personal limits at 48.
Their experiences show how a home can become more than a place to live. It can be the setting where families grow, new careers take shape, and personal goals find room to develop.
Hamza Bensaid: From Dh500 to a Family Home in Dubai
When Hamza Bensaid arrived in Dubai from Morocco on a warm August afternoon in 2007, he had a biology degree, Dh500 borrowed from his mother, and little certainty about what lay ahead.
His first job at GITEX lasted just three days. An application to university was rejected because his English was not strong enough. Rather than return home, Bensaid bought a book to learn English, found a job paying Dh2,000 a month, and studied alongside 12-hour workdays.
He eventually passed the TOEFL examination, graduated from university, and built a marketing career working with multinational companies.
In March 2026, nearly 19 years after arriving in Dubai, Bensaid reached another personal milestone by buying a home for his wife, Rano, their six-year-old daughter, Aya, and their three-year-old son, Amine.
“I came here looking for an opportunity. I found a career, a family, a home, and a country that I am deeply grateful to call my second home,” he says.
Having lost his father at the age of eight, Bensaid grew up in Tangier, a busy port city in Morocco. Today, he works as an associate marketing director overseeing nutrition brand campaigns across the Middle East and North Africa. On weekends, he turns his camera towards his family and the landscapes of Dubai.
His journey from a difficult start to owning a family home reflects the life he set out to build when he first arrived.
Poppy Owen: Building a Community Through Social Media
When Poppy Owen moved from North Wales to Dubai with her husband, Benjamin, and their two children in December 2022, she wanted a different way of life. She did not expect that documenting her family’s experiences would eventually become a career.
After more than 12 years as a business owner, Owen understood how social media could help build an enterprise. Following her departure from business mentoring, she began sharing family weekends in Dubai on YouTube in February 2025. Later that year, she expanded to Instagram and TikTok, offering practical advice to people in the UK considering a move to the UAE.
Her content attracted millions of views, along with messages from people who found her experiences useful. She soon recognized that sharing what she had learned about life in Dubai could help others make informed decisions about relocating.
“I realized I could make a really positive impact just by sharing the knowledge and experiences I’d gained from living here,” she says.
The online audience has also grown into an offline community. In September, Owen organized Poppy’s Party, bringing 300 followers together for coffee, music, and entertainment for children.
At DAMAC Hills 2, family life revolves around the convenience of having everyday activities close by. The family walks to the gym and coffee shops, the children cycle to nearby parks, and weekends often include visits to the Malibu Beach Waterpark.
“There’s just so much to do here without even needing to leave the community,” she says.
Owen plans to continue developing her content creation career and hopes to move into a larger villa in DAMAC Hills 2 as her family grows. For now, the neighborhood’s familiar faces and daily routines have given the family a sense of belonging.
Kayleigh Davidson: From Special-Effects Makeup to Interior Design
For Kayleigh Davidson, a resident of DAMAC Hills 1, a move to Dubai brought a change in how she expresses her creativity.
Originally from northeast England, Davidson relocated to Dubai with her husband and two daughters three and a half years ago. Before the move, she worked as a special-effects makeup artist and eventually managed the makeup department for an award-winning event. Her responsibilities included recruiting artists, leading a team, and transforming hundreds of performers.
Since moving to Dubai, she has turned her attention towards renovating and redesigning the family’s villas. Although the work looks different, she sees a clear connection between her former profession and her current interests: both involve imagining what something could become and bringing that idea to life.
“Whether it’s transforming an actor into a completely different character or transforming a house into a home, I love the process of taking something from an initial idea to a finished result,” she says.
Life at DAMAC Hills 1 also gives the family plenty of opportunities to spend time together. Their daughters take part in gymnastics, horse riding, and swimming, while cycling to school has become part of their routine. Davidson’s husband works from an office within the community, and their adopted dogs have a dog park to enjoy.
Over time, neighbors have become close friends and, in some cases, feel like family. The community has given Davidson room to explore a different creative direction while maintaining the routines that matter to her household.
Dr Mohammad Baydoun: Staying Young by Continuing to Learn
For Dr Mohammad Baydoun, a Lebanese architect with a PhD in risk management, discipline extends well beyond his professional responsibilities.
Before moving to Dubai in 2016, Baydoun spent 14 years working in real estate development in Lebanon. He joined DAMAC Properties in 2018 and has since led development work contributing to the launch of more than AED 200 billion worth of real estate projects.
Alongside his career, he has maintained a long-standing commitment to martial arts and fitness. A two-time Lebanese national karate champion, Baydoun has also won CrossFit competitions in Dubai. His current pursuits include running, calisthenics, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Having lived in DAMAC Hills for more than four years, he has built exercise into his routine. The community park provides space for outdoor training, while walks around the neighborhood and time with his wife offer a quieter contrast to the demands of corporate life.
At 48, Baydoun is taking on the challenge of being a beginner again in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. For him, age is not a reason to stop learning or pushing himself.
“I believe the secret to staying young isn’t avoiding age. It’s refusing to stop learning, moving, and challenging yourself,” he says.
His commitment to fitness has also helped him build a substantial online audience, with more than 427,000 followers on Instagram.
How Home Becomes Part of the Journey
The four residents have different backgrounds and ambitions, but their stories share a common thread. Each has found ways to pursue personal goals while building a life in Dubai, whether through a new career, a growing online community, creative work, or a continuing commitment to fitness.
Their experiences also illustrate the role that a residential community can play in everyday life. Access to parks, recreational facilities, family activities, and familiar neighbors can shape how residents spend their time and connect with the people around them.
DAMAC, described as the largest private developer in the UAE and the Middle East, has delivered 50,000 homes, with another 55,000 under development.
Behind those figures are people creating family routines, pursuing ambitions, and finding new reasons to call Dubai home. For these four residents, the journey is not simply about where they live. It is about what they have been able to build there.
Read more news and follow us on Instagram.
Source: KT
