Dubai start-up helps visitors take a closer look at Emirati life

Dubai start-up helps visitors take a closer look at Emirati life

Desert safari, belly dancing, camel ride, and a dash of sun, sand and a shopping bonanza - a Dubai experience that encompasses these touristy traps for a majority of visitors to the emirate. Emirati Khadija Behzad saw a gaping hole in Dubai's tourism landscape and launched 'Meet the Locals' - a social tourism start-up that invites both tourists and residents alike to break bread with locals and dig deeper into their fascinating culture and heritage. "Dubai is a city that attracts millions of tourists every year. There are many tour operators as well. But I saw that they don't offer anything that represents our culture. We wanted to offer experiences not just tours," Behzad told Khaleej Times. The award-winning start-up also wants to bring Emiratis and expatriates from close to 200 countries, who call Dubai their home away from home, closer. "Emiratis make up less than 15 per cent of the total population. The majority of expatriates have never been to an Emirati home, not tasted our food, or understood our culture. We want to change that perception," said Behzad. Since its inception, Behzad said thousands of people from more than 75 countries have taken their bespoke tours led by