British entrepreneurs Emily and Adam Abraham are the founders of Love Luxury, a retail concept styled on buying and selling pre-loved high-end designer goods such as handbags, accessories and watches.
The couple, who married in 2018, opened their first Love Luxury shop during the Covid-19 pandemic in Knightsbridge, London, and a second in Business Bay, Dubai, late last year.
Now living in Dubai, the Abrahams have a blended family of five children (Ms Abraham has three and Mr Abraham two) from their previous marriages, including 11-year-old Moo, a mini fashionista who dresses up in Love Luxury’s items and is known as “The Billionaire’s Daughter” on TikTok (157,400 followers and 2 million likes), Instagram (111,000 followers) and YouTube.
“I'm here permanently with Moo and Adam is backwards and forwards [between Dubai and London], so he does two weeks here and two weeks there. We go to London if there's an event, or if there’s work that we need to contractually do,” Ms Abraham says.
Did money feature in your childhood?
Emily Abraham: I grew up in the south-west of England in a family that was not particularly well off. My mother was very young when she had me. My grandfather was a gold dealer, so he was quite well off. But my mother chose a different route in life … so I didn't benefit from having a wealthy grandfather. And then I went into the care system. That was my very early life.
When I came out of the care system, I lived with my grandmother from the age of 13 to 16, I was basically bringing myself up and I was looking after her as well. I left home when I was 16 and got three jobs. My first job was working in Waitrose on the deli counter. I was very proud of myself.
Adam Abraham: I grew up in Hackney in London. My father was very ambitious and he always wanted to be very successful. He worked the market stalls in Camden Market. When I was around eight or nine, I started working for him, selling women's hair bands, little pieces, things under £1.
I started paying bills at age 15, when I got my first job in Tottenham Court Road, working for Microworld. Then my father moved to China and I went with him. I started an e-commerce business, Cables UK, as a 33 per cent partnership with my father and his brother, which turned into a multimillion-pound business.
What did you learn from that?
EA: I could support myself. I had all of the skills that I needed. I knew how to pay bills, how to cook my food, how to do the laundry. I knew how to take care of myself, so I was very independent from a very young age.
AA: I was travelling the world a lot [with] private schools, tutors, art school clubs, working, studying, paying bills, living alone for quite some time, at least six to eight months of the year without my father.
I was in different businesses and having to study and sort of trained myself how to be a man. It was a very intense childhood. At my age now, I've been able to give our children a lot – a bigger head start.
How did Love Luxury come about?
EA: Adam had a chain of businesses called We Buy for Cash. And those businesses were buying goods and selling them. We were getting some of those [luxury] items coming into We Buy for Cash, like we'd have a Rolex come in. And then we'd have a Chanel or a lady would bring us a Birkin or Kelly [handbag]. There was loads of Gucci, loads of Louis Vuitton. Adam had a whole wall of Chanel in one of his stores.
And then Covid happened and that changed things for us massively as we couldn't open. However, we'd already built our name in these pre-loved luxury goods, so lots of people knew who we were and trusted us. Everybody knew Adam and Emily could give them authentic luxury goods. We decided to put [them] on eBay and literally the store sold out in eight weeks. We had a rebrand and we changed the name. And we also realised that we'd outgrown the premises that we were in and we needed a shop … we opened in Knightsbridge.
AA: Basically, it was dry run and I told Emily that I want to go to Knightsbridge. We started to make money from that business as it was a different level of clientele – watches are £200,000 [$250,380], bags that were £20,000, £10,000 Chanels … loads of stock, diamonds and gold.
How has social media changed your lives?
AA: Social media is a form of marketing. It’s just now TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. How does it change my life now? It changed my life when I was 17, from having an e-commerce platform and selling £10 million to £20 million worth of cables by the age of 19. I've been very successful, very young, and it trains you in how to market any business model.
EA: It has changed our lives in the respect that now everybody knows who we are. We are recognised now and it has given people trust in us. We have people travel all from all over the world to come to London to our store or to come to Dubai to meet us.
Are you spenders or savers?
EA: We reinvest all of our money back into the business because this is our baby. We don't have investors. Rather than drawing money out to live a massively lavish lifestyle, we are pumping the money back into the business. However, we're not afraid to go and shop.
AA: I always look at how much money you're making. And I always live on a certain percentage of that. So, I would say I would like to reinvest 95 per cent of my money back into business and arts, and I spend 5 per cent, but the 5 per cent is a crazy lifestyle.
Because we are Muslim, we are people who, regardless of what we earn, make sure that we are very charitable. So, charity comes before spending on ourselves. It’s very important to give back to charity because … we are blessed abundantly in so many other ways.
What are your best investments?
EA: I think for us, our investments are our business and time. That's how we invest. It's the best investment for our money.
And your most cherished purchase?
EA: When you buy things, they can be taken away from you, or you can lose them or you may have to sell them. I don't hold emotional attachment to material items. Having said that, obviously the thing that I care about the most are my wedding and engagement rings.
Money comes and goes, but the people you love, their happiness and health is what is most important
Emily Abraham,
co-founder of Love Luxury
One thing that I don’t have in my possession is a locket that my grandmother gave me before she died. It holds a lot of sentimental value but it was stolen from me when my house was burgled. I learnt a valuable lesson and that was don't get attached to material items, because you just don't know what the future holds.
How do you feel about money?
EA: At the end of the day, you could be the richest person in the world and be depressed. You could be the richest person in the world and lose it all. Nothing is guaranteed. But let's be honest: having money makes life easier to navigate.
You don't have to worry about paying your bills, you don't have to worry about whether you can feed your children. I've been in that position. I know what it's like to not eat a meal so that my children could eat. However, it's not the be all and end all because we were still happy. Money comes and goes, but the people you love, their happiness and health is what is most important.
Money helps to build memories and a level of happiness. But you can be just as happy in your home with your children playing board games as you can be on a yacht. It's all relative.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Blue%20Beetle
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
