Big business to startup life: Alia Juma Al Nabooda on breaking new boundaries

Photo: Alia Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda, VoucherSkout

We don’t know about you, but there’s nothing quite like enjoying time alone. If you are one of those who, whether it’s a fancy dinner or the latest blockbuster at the cinema, don’t need a companion to enjoy the good life, then you are the target audience for UAE entrepreneur Alia Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda's latest venture, VoucherSkout. The app gives users a flat 50 per cent off at all their partner outlets, challenging the 2-4-1 and percentage discount offers popular in the region.

“I find that people who want to enjoy an experience by themselves, or even in groups of three, tend to miss out,” Alia explained. “After all, there are times when you just want to indulge yourself, and it’s frustrating when you are unable to avail an offer because you don’t have someone to share it with. So we decided to create a programme that gives customers real value, no strings attached.”

VoucherSkout, for Alia, was an act of fate. “I came across Acumen Advertising DMCC when I was shopping around for an agency to create an app that my sister and I were planning. At one meeting, [managing director] David Tobias said to me, ‘I have something in mind, and I am looking for a partner to help bring it to life’. And he told me about VoucherSkout. Today, he is my partner.”

FAMILY VS. WORK

This is Alia’s first venture into technology. By the time Alia had finished her master’s in international business from the University of Wollongong in Dubai, she was already a mother of two.

When the children started kindergarten, she began to feel restless.

“Of course, everyone is different. Some women are content being stay-at-home mums. I was not. I started my little fashion store but soon realised I was learning on the job rather than from my seniors, so I decided to join the family business instead,” she explained.

Alia joined her father at his head office in the iconic Khalifa Al Nabooda building along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. “When I first started, my Dad told me that I need to just sit and observe. At first, I didn’t understand why I could not participate in the business the way I wanted to.”

But one day, Alia was having a conversation with her husband about business processes when it dawned on her. “He was telling me about some confusion he had regarding a [company] audit, and I explained the process and terminology to him. He pointed out that although I was always complaining that I do nothing [at my dad’s office], I have learned so much that I know more than him! That’s when I realised my father’s wisdom.”

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

For Alia, the team is what adds value to the business, but she warns that an entrepreneur has to be careful.

“When the manager is a woman, people tend to play to your emotional side. It took me a while to realise that this is happening and to be firm and authoritative with my team.”

With VoucherSkout, the working environment is quite different, as it comprises go-getters operating in a young industry. “I am not a stickler for titles, and I like an environment where we can all sit for a chat and make things happen.”

At her family business, though, things are a little more old-school. “I am the director of our printing press, and I sit on the board for one of our construction companies. As someone who enjoys learning new things all the time, this is a really interesting time for me.”

But there’s one more hat that’s far more valuable: family. “Working full-time is challenging, and making time for my four kids is not easy. But I am strategic about it. So I pencil my time with them into my schedule, and I decline all other requests to ensure I am always with them when needed,” she said.

“I believe people should enjoy their life. With VoucherSkout, we are helping make that happen a little bit more, and we hope to grow further, not just in the region, but all over the world."

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