“When it comes to homegrown concepts in Dubai, this is only the beginning.” Sandy El Hayek on Dubai’s F&B scene & how to play it for the long haul

This week Hashem caught up with Sandy El Hayek, the newly minted General Manager of Dubai’s Time Out Market which launched in April in collaboration with Dubai mega developer Emaar. A veteran of Dubai’s F&B scene, Hashem and Sandy talked about her childhood as the daughter of Lebanese immigrants in Halmstad, Sweden, how her family dynamics influenced her passion for work (and good food), and the rudimentary 7-star wine service experience in Dubai that led Sandy to pack her Scandinavian bags and expand her career in the UAE. They also discussed Sandy’s particular interest in homegrown concepts & why she sees organizational culture as an integral part of her career path.