Abu Dhabi – Living in the United Arab Emirates since 2013, Brazilian Lubna Chahine created just over one year ago a channel on YouTube to share her experiences and help Brazilians going through the same situation: leave their homeland and go live in an unknown place to many of them, but one full of opportunities.
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Born in Boa Vista (RR), Lubna majored in Management and Law and started a career in the capital of Roraima until she met her current husband, an artist of Syrian parents. After she married, they decided to settle in Dubai, a foreigner-friendly city.
Nonetheless, the change was a difficult one: “I suffered to adapt,” said the Brazilian. “I couldn’t find my place professionally and I withdrew into myself. I, myself, created a barrier that was holding me back.”
In this period, she ended up meeting other women in the same situation via the Café Brasileiro em Dubai (Brazilian Coffee in Dubai), an event for women held monthly in restaurants of the emirate. To attend the meetings helped the Brazilian and she was able make new friends in her new country.
The YouTube channel was created only in 2017. “One of my first videos was at Gulfood [2017 edition]. I interviewed, among other people, Michel Alaby (the CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce),” said Lubna. Watch the video. From then on, she began to upload videos shot at Café Brasileiro, with tourism tips and interviews with Brazilian entrepreneurs in Dubai.
ANBA interviewed the youtuber during the Brazilian Festival, an event organized jointly by the Arab Chamber and Yas Mall at the end of February of this year, in Abu Dhabi.
Although it doesn’t yet generate a large financial return, Lubna Chahine’s channel helps her occupy her time and contact other people in Dubai. She plans to turn the channel into a professional project, but, for now, she’s dedicating herself to the production of the videos as a hobby. The channel received her name to maintain a broad focus.
“I reached near 5,000 followers on Instagram and some of the YouTube videos have over 1,000 views. I want to promote it more in 2018,” she said.
Meanwhile, she shares her time with a new occupation. After years attending the meetings, Lubna was invited to be a part of the organization of the Café Brasileiro in Dubai. “I was very flattered with the invitation. I don’t want others to go through the same difficulties that I faced,” she explained.
Quick info
Lubna Chahine
YouTube: https://goo.gl/R5iJPy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lubnachahine/
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
