From 'gangs, stabbings and fires' in Croydon to a £1m business in the sun

AN ENTERPRISING couple from the UK have shared their success story of moving to Dubai and starting a business that hit the £1 million mark in just one year.

- By VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH AND AMY REAST

Jason Kwao, 28, who dropped out of university because he “didn’t find it useful”, started his entrepreneurial journey by purchasing homeware products from a warehouse and selling them on Amazon for profit.

He then progressed to working with an agency where he managed high-value accounts, earning £8,000 a month before tax.

With the flexibility of remote work, Jason and his wife Sumekka Selliah-Kwao, 27, relocated to the Dubailand area of Dubai to enjoy the warmer weather and a different way of life.

In January 2024, they launched their own commercial selling agency, Intermast, even as finances were tight due to investment in the business and the arrival of their second child.

Their hard work paid off as their B2B product sales agency expanded, allowing them to employ staff.

By January of this year the couple's team had grown to five, and their business was valued at an impressive £1 million.

Jason, originally from Croydon, reflected: "When I met Sumekka, we both had a vision of what we wanted to achieve.

"When I started doing well selling on Amazon while working with an agency, it was so exciting - but I felt like I was burnt out."

Explaining their bold move, he said: "That was why we packed our suitcases and moved to Dubai. We invested everything and sometimes we'd be late paying rent if sales invoices didn’t come through on time."