Aaliya Lala moved to Dubai from neighbouring Abu Dhabi with no job, no savings and a father who wasn't happy about it. Raised in the UAE capital by an Indian family, she wanted to find out what she could build on her own.
She moved into a shared space in Dubai. When money for food ran out, she found a way. Her roommate wanted water delivered so she offered to fetch it. She earned tips that she used to buy a shawarma a day until she found a job.
Today, Ms Lala is a UAE-licensed travel and lifestyle content creator with more than 14 years in the industry, working with international brands, luxury hotels and tourism boards. She also owns a media house that connects influencers with brands and travel agencies, invests in UAE real estate and financial markets, and draws an income of roughly Dh300,000 to Dh400,000 a year.
What was your first job and first salary?
I got a small job when I was 17 years old in Abu Dhabi. From my dad's company, I got a job to write an article for them. I used to get paid around Dh80 a month. I started my career like that.
Then I started working with Al Gharbia – it's a news channel in Madinat Zayed – and my first salary was Dh4,500 there.
What's your current role?
I am a professional content creator and I like to travel. I didn't travel [for eight years] and suddenly I felt like I had to see the world. I like to connect people to people and I feel overwhelmed when I see nature. I really love the concept of culture, food, experiences and travel. So I started my focus on travelling and I'm working with tourism boards.
I started my career with modelling and then as a photographer as well [so] I know what it's like to be behind the camera and in front of the camera.
It's been more than 14 years in content creation. I lost my social media pages twice, so I had to start again and again.
What do you earn now?
It depends on brands and tourism boards and everything, but on average annually I earn around Dh300,000 to Dh400,000.
I have my other businesses as well – real estate and a media house. The media house is basically where we work with influencers and travel agencies. We connect influencers to brands. It's B2B, but in travel.
What are your major monthly expenses?
As I'm in content creation and travel, I reinvest in my stuff – the photographers, videographers, content creators, those who help me, and of course travelling. These are my major expenses.
My top three monthly expenses: my clothes, my travel and my fitness. In the last two years, I lost around 25kg.
Do you save and invest?
I have invested in land in the UAE, and also some [property] units. I invest a lot in market stocks and mutual funds. I'm doing really good with my returns, but I don't live on that. I want to explore more opportunities because I'm here to build generational wealth.
Do you have any debt?
No. I don't believe in that. If you take away everything from me right now, I'm gonna start again.
When I was looking for a job, I didn't take money from my dad. I wanted to be something on my own. So I moved with my friend in Dubai first, and it was a sharing space. My dad is a civil engineer, project manager, and he was not happy with that.
I didn't have money to eat and I couldn't ask my dad. My roommate was Russian, and they wanted to order water. So I said: “I'll bring it for you.” I used to get tips around Dh5 to Dh6. I used to [buy] a shawarma a day, until I found a job after a month.
Growing up, were you taught how to handle money?
My mom always taught me that you have to save, you have to reinvest in yourself. But with my experiences, I learnt that I need to explore more. Finances will manage – they will manage automatically.
With time, I have learnt a lot about finances, and it gave me experience in how I can earn more.
I'm not stuck to a particular amount that I want to earn in a month. I'm open. I'm ready to explore everything.
What are your financial goals?
My financial goal is to build long-term wealth through multiple income streams rather than depending on just one. I want to continue growing my businesses, make smart investments, build valuable assets and expand my work internationally.
Financial success is also about freedom – having the ability to travel, create, explore new opportunities [and] provide a secure future for my family.
