How is business in Dubai doing right now? A PR agency CEO’s perspective

My husband and partner built a company called RootFoot in Russia that brought in 500 clients in two years — very fast growth for such an unconventional business. We decided to replicate the model here, but here I'm the one running everything.

Yes, it's the "everyone has feet" principle. 98% of people have some kind of foot condition, and it's impossible to do harm with this product — it's essentially like dental floss, preventive care. Dubai is our starting point; from here we'll expand to other Gulf regions.

Dramatically. After Arab Health, the largest medical exhibition, I had almost closed contracts with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. But after the February events, everything froze — the flow of patients, and with it sales.

Frozen. One clinic held on — it rehabilitates locals after injuries, and they don't travel anywhere until they've finished their procedures. The rest, tied to the CIS and Europe, sank: people left, but salaries and licenses still have to be paid.

The patient flow is more or less recovering, and the doctors are coming back too. Doctors working with the local population barely saw a dip. You can't just copy the Russian business model from what you had in the CIS: the attitude toward medicine here is different — insurance-based, and with far less awareness of wellness. The idea that you need it not only when your foot is already falling off. The local population often comes in for treatment after surgery, or when the bunion on their big toe has gone "next door."

I'd come in now, while everyone's scattered and there are government special offers. Use the summer to prepare your documentation — bringing in medical equipment or pharmaceutical products takes six months to a year.

I'd look at the whole anti-aging industry. There are dozens of clinics in Jumeirah; Healthcare City is a whole district; something new opens every week. One of my branches is recommending doctors — local clinics badly need Russian-speakers, because they need Russian-speaking patients, and those patients don't spare money on their health. On equipment, you'll face competition — there's a cheap Indian market here. Right now I'm bringing in oxygen equipment. We even got into camels and horses — turns out oxygen devices are incredibly useful for them. Camels are a huge part of business in the Emirates; people may spend even more on them than on humans.

Yes, if a doctor wants to work in the Emirates and speaks English, come to us. Some clinic owners say outright: "We'll pay for the license and the relocation — just bring us a talented doctor patients will follow." Strong minds are always in demand.