Trailblazing Women: Zed Capital Founder and Dubai Bling Star Zeina Khoury "I measure my success in repeat clients, because in real estate, you start off with a small pool of clients, and the only way for you to actually grow is by growing this pool of clients."

This article is part of a series entitled "Trailblazing Women" by Entrepreneur Middle East in celebration of International Women's Day 2025.

"I would like to come home before my kids' bedtime, at least half an hour before," says Zeina Khoury when asked about her future plans. It is a statement that embodies where Khoury is in 2025: for the 41-year-old mother of two, who is also the founder and President of Zed Capital Real Estate, a star of Netflix's reality TV show Dubai Bling, and the founder of fashion startup I Am The Company, there are not enough hours in the day.

"I used to stress a lot about my to-do lists. Now, I've decided that there's no point in stressing, because whatever I cannot finish today, I'll finish tonight," Khoury says with a laugh. "In all seriousness, I work very late hours. After I put the kids to bed, I get back to work."

Her strong work ethic comes from growing up in a family that put strong emphasis on education and encouraged self-confidence in Khoury and her two siblings. "Back in Lebanon, I did a lot of part-time jobs to support myself through university. I modeled, played basketball, worked as a radio presenter," she explains. "When an opportunity knocks, I take it."

One knocked in 2006. "Due to the political unrest in Lebanon, a lot of families had to send their children abroad because it was not safe, and that is what we did as well," Khoury explains. "I followed my elder brother to Dubai, and although I did not get the real estate job that I had come for, when another opportunity presented itself, I did whatever was needed to get it."

Almost 20 years later, Khoury is at the helm of a real estate agency that employs 48 people and boasts 12 completed and three active projects. It has managed and developed over AED3 billion worth of properties, achieving AED50 million revenue growth in 2024 alone. "Basically, if someone has a plot of land or wants to enter into the real estate development scene in the UAE, we help find them a plot that is suitable, do the market research, and create the whole real estate product for them," Khoury says. "Then, we help them complete all the Dubai Land Department registrations, handle all the branding, pricing strategy, and selling through our sales team and the network of over 3,000 agencies in the UAE that we cooperate with."

Zed Capital's key collaborations include Amwaj Development and Vantage Ventures, where Zed Capital successfully launched three of their projects, with the latest being Viera Residences in Dubai Production City. The company's success stems from Khoury carving out a niche for herself in the real estate sector long before its launch. "The biggest milestones in my career happened when there was a crisis," she says. "The first crisis was in 2008, and when no real estate sales were happening, I shifted to the collection of money department and this is how I built myself up into the world of developers. This is why I have the experience that I have today and that sets me apart from other real estate companies and real estate people. The direction of Zed Capital is taking full-on projects and working as developers ourselves. So, we are not only their right arm for sales and marketing, but we actually do developer operations for any developer that wants to create a real estate product in the UAE."

Zed Capital also offers all property management services, while its holiday homes arm Zed Living achieves 5% to 12% rental ROI for the listed clients.

Khoury takes pride in Zed Capital achieving 70%-80% client retention rate. "I measure my success in repeat clients, because in real estate, you start off with a small pool of clients, and the only way for you to actually grow is by growing this pool of clients," she says. "In real estate, you have to think long term. One good example is that I had someone who bought from me a small studio in 2007, and seven/eight years later, he came back and bought from me a villa of AED50 million. I have witnessed people evolve and grow in their careers, and it's amazing what they have managed to do by investing in real estate in the UAE market. We manage a lot of multi-unit portfolios for our clients, and there are people that have managed to grow their portfolio over a 10-year span, from having one or two units to having 30, 40 units, which is amazing."

What does it take to succeed in the UAE's fast-paced real estate sector? "A lot of people enter it thinking that it's a plan B type of option, but that doesn't work," Khoury says. "Real estate is more than a pretty woman getting in front of the camera and showing the property. In real estate, you have to be honest, consistent, and you need to forget about your weekends. There are 15,000 real estate agents trying to do the same thing that you are trying to do, so you need to keep moving."

While the UAE's real estate boom has been creating unparalleled opportunities for real estate agents, Khoury empathizes with the beginners in the industry that offers good commissions but no basic salary. "If you're working on commission, there's no ceiling in the real estate market," she says. "Currently, we're negotiating a plot of AED1.1 billion, so the agent is going to be set for life. Who would ask for a small, tiny salary? But I do understand people who are just starting off in the industry, it's a bit stressful not to have a basic salary. That's why real estate is not for everybody."

Another crisis in which Khoury found a silver lining was the COVID-19 period. "Basically, when the world is not moving, I start moving," she says. "During COVID-19, I enrolled in a master's degree program, and I started working on my social media platforms and building my online community." Not long after, Khoury reached out to a producer to pitch a real estate-focused reality TV show, but he happened to be casting for what would become Dubai Bling. Accepting the offer to join was a no-brainer for Khoury. "I was like, he is great producer, it is an amazing platform, it is a project that has Dubai in its name, which is a country that I deeply appreciate, and it is a reality show that allows you to tell your story and add value wherever possible."

In 2025, the show has released its third season, recording 2.4 million views and 18.6 million hours watched in just its first week, and Khoury is confident that she made the right decision. "Taking part in a reality TV can be dangerous, yes, because sometimes you will give a reaction that maybe later on you might regret, but at the same time, the love that you get from people is beyond what actors get for their roles," she says. "People are loving you. They are loving your story. They are relating to you."

While Khoury is delighted by her new-found fame, she remains resolutely the person she has always been - a grounded real estate professional. "In real estate, your main asset is your credibility," she says. "Definitely, the show has helped me spread the word that I am in real estate, that I have been in real estate for the past 20 years, and that I am credible. It fast forwards the time I used to spend introducing myself. While it gives you a shortcut, it does not do the job. It puts you in front of people who are ready to listen to you, but if you are not really capable of performing what social media or Netflix say you are, you have no chance."

Khoury, however, is no stranger to experiencing the lack of appreciation in the workplace- instead of allowing it to break her, she used it as fuel to rise. "My fashion startup 'I Am The Company came' is a result of a crisis when my work contribution was not acknowledged. Real estate companies are worth the people who are in them, so my response to that lack of appreciation became a viral phrase and the name of my startup."

"Part of the proceeds go towards women's education, so it has a cause," Khoury adds. "Is it a business that would allow me to leave my real estate agency and rely only on it? No. But I truly love the message behind it, and I get pictures every other day from women wearing our I Am The Company blazer while standing in front of thousands of people." Success belongs to those bold enough to seize the moment and set a new course in their lives and careers, just like Zeina Khoury did so many times.