Meeting up with Mariam

Today, we’re chatting with Mariam from Dubai. She is about to tell us about her love of social media, fashion, music, shopping, events and owning the most Instagrammable café in Dubai.

In addition to being a young entrepreneur, Mariam is also a social media influencer who’s always engaging with her followers - sharing the latest trends and hip new places in town, as well as showcasing bucket-list travel destinations that are on this cool-hunter’s impeccable radar.

Mariam, tell us about yourself

Hala! I’m Mariam. I’m 23, and I’m from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I’m the youngest of four siblings and I have two elder brothers and a sister.

I grew up in Dubai and moved to the UK to study. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, majoring in History of Art.

When I came back to Dubai, I started my own café. It’s in Jumeirah and it's called Sands of Dreams. The café is British and Arabian fusion themed. It’s the most Instagrammable café in Dubai, if I say so myself.

Running a café must keep you busy – what’s a typical day like for you?

You will find me at the café on most days. You can see me taking care of the décor, and helping with the menu; love chatting with the guests who come to my café as well.

I’m very active on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. I have amazing followers who are really nice, and I love sharing my daily life with them. I post content about my lifestyle, cool attractions in the city, stories from my travels, and also content that involves my friends.

My friends are a huge part of my life, and they’re amazing and supportive of me. I include them in my content because my life and they are inseparable.

What other interests do you have?

I love music. Some of my favourite artists are Billie Ellish, Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, Assala Nasri, Ragheb Alama, and Nancy Ajram. You can often find me at concerts. I also love travelling. My favourite destination is Istanbul, Turkey. I love the architecture and history there. I also love visiting Paris, London, Copenhagen, and Switzerland – especially the resorts in the Alps.

I’m a huge foodie. I love Arabic cuisine. I’m also fond of Chinese and Japanese, too. I enjoy fine dining experiences.

When I’m not dining out or travelling, you can see me hosting events such as open-mic nights, and trivia games at Sands of Dreams. If you’re around, it’d be amazing if you visit!

Why do you love using Virgin Mobile?

I love the whole vibe of Virgin Mobile, really. I love the adventurous approach they take to not only their mobile brand but also to the brands in their portfolio. It’s full of zest.

I like that using Virgin Mobile is very convenient. There are no annual contracts, I can cancel my plan anytime I like – that’s very appealing, especially for someone young, like me. Also, the ability to pick and choose how many voice minutes and data you want, is super handy.

I’m a very social person, and I like to be constantly connected to everything around me. Because I have Virgin Mobile, I can do so very easily. I love it!

With Virgin Mobile, I’m living my life, the way I like it!