If you haven’t heard of Gossip Desserts yet, you soon will. The Emirati-owned home-grown cafe is due to open its second branch in The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi on December 14 and a third branch near City Walk in Dubai early next year.
Shayma Fawwaz, the Emirati woman behind the brand, launched Gossip Desserts nearly two years ago in Sharjah. Fawwaz, who was born in Abu Dhabi, came up with the concept as an answer to the cookie-cutter cafes mushrooming everywhere.
“I wanted to create an experience for people to enjoy what they’re eating and have a fun place to hang out,” says Fawwaz. “It’s so hard to find a good, everyday place to eat. I got sick of the same cafes – you find the same salad everywhere.”
Gossip Desserts is an Emirati-American-European fusion cafe and, though the name might suggest otherwise, it specialises in more than just desserts. While the truffles and cheesecakes in a jar are popular, Fawwaz has also made sure the unique sandwiches and salads she’s created leave people talking. Fawwaz says: “With every salad and sandwich, I say ‘how can I make this gourmet?’ For example, my tuna sandwich has wasabi, fresh olives, corn and avocado in it. I try to make everything a bit upscale.”
Fawwaz single-handedly set up Gossip Desserts and has been involved with every step of the process.
“I’ve had a business plan [for a cafe] since I was 21. I didn’t use consultants and I don’t have partners,” says Fawwaz. “I did it all from scratch and all by myself.” She came up with every recipe and says: “Everything I make is something I want to eat. If I want to eat it, then I sell it.”
She also doesn’t cut corners.
“We try to be as organic as possible,” says Fawwaz. “There are no preservatives in the food. I will not use jam from a jar. I will not use anything canned. Everything is made from scratch.”
Gossip Desserts is not even a full-time career for Fawwaz, who also has a high-profile job in the health care industry. She spent eight years in the United States earning an undergraduate degree in pre-med/business and microbiology from George Washington University and a doctorate in human genetics.
“I am fascinated by human DNA. It came to me naturally. Just like desserts,” she says with a laugh. “Gossip Desserts has 50 flavours of cupcakes and cakes,” she says. “As women, we’re always careful about what we eat. So when I come to indulge in a dessert, it better be worth it. We make sure it’s worth it. I tell my employees, you’re not selling a cupcake or a dessert. You’re selling an experience.”
• If you can’t wait for the Abu Dhabi and Dubai branches to open, Gossip Desserts is in Sharjah at University City. Open daily from 7.30am to 10pm, Sunday to Wednesday and 7.30am to 11pm, Thursday to Saturday. Call 06 545 5959 for more details (follow instagram.com/gossipdesserts)
sjohnson@thenational.ae
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
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Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
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Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
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The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
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