Three young sisters in Dubai have created a non-profit foundation that is transforming the lives of women and children thousands of miles away in Kenya.
Inaya Bhasin, 16, and her sisters Simar, 13, and Rania, 12, were inspired to establish Arise after visiting communities where children lack resources, women have few opportunities and the environment is under threat.
The daughters of a third-generation Kenyan-Indian father, they had spent time in Kenya and feel strong ties to the country.
“We noticed how education, empowerment and conservation are often treated separately, but to us, they are deeply connected,” Rania told The National. So Arise was built, in 2023, around these three pillars, to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
They began by working with the Vanessa Grant Trust, which supports access to education for children and young adults in rural Kenya.
Finding a story
The girls were moved by the experiences of women such as a stonecutter’s daughter who went to work with her mother, where she earned the equivalent of $3 a day. With support from the foundation, the daughter now works in one of Nairobi's leading law firms.
“We just found that story so impactful,” said Inaya. “It drives us to continue and start more and more projects.”
Each sister has a role: Inaya is the creative one, Simar handles logistics and partnerships, while Rania focuses on people and the vision. They want to expand across more African communities in the next five years.
“We want Arise to be a platform that proves youth-led change can be global and lasting,” Rania said.
Arise projects include donating recycled computers from African businesses to schools across Tanzania, supporting large-scale tree-planting drives across East Africa, and launching the Hot Meals Programme.
For the latter, Inaya sold her African-inspired artworks to raise $5,000, funding 20 women to cook daily hot meals for 1,300 students at Songoro Mnyonge Secondary School near Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania.
“Their attendance, their constitution and their overall attitude has improved and the women actually earn an income,” said Inaya. “They support five people at home on average.” She has also created an online maths platform to help pupils learn.
The most challenging part so far has been finding schools willing to accept help, said Simar. “The districts are very isolated and we have a language barrier.” To bridge the gap, they have partnered with local organisations to distribute laptops and reach students.
Striking a balance
Balancing all this with their own education and lives has not been easy. Inaya has just started higher education, Simar has begun her GCSEs and Rania is in Year Eight.
“In the beginning, it was a challenge, because all three of us are at different stages of school life,” said Inaya.
For the hot meals programme, for example, they have visited the school twice and check in with the headmistress once a week.
“Every month, we get how many hot meals have been provided, and the cost of it, so we can have this cost-benefit analysis,” added Inaya. “We normally save that for a weekend, but also integrate [Arise] into everyday life, sometimes at family dinner, with random discussions or brainstorming new ideas.”
The girls are keen to start partnering with schools, companies and institutions in the UAE as they roll out new projects. Anyone who would like to help can contact them through their Instagram page @arise.educate.empower.conserve.
“Our whole goal is to make this sustainable,” said Simar. “We are a small foundation, but we’re hoping to grow in all three pillars.”
Inaya is in talks with her school, Dubai College, to collect old electronics that students would otherwise throw out.
“Every small part matters,” she said. “Even though it might be small, it can still make a huge difference.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
