My UAE: Hanan Al Fardan, co-founder of Al Ramsa

Hanan Al Fardan always wanted to do something innovative, which would also have a positive impact on people’s lives.

So last June she set up a language institute, Al Ramsa, a place where she could teach the Emirati dialect to interested students.

“I was teaching it since 2011 in an institute in Dubai, and my students urged me to set up an institute,” she says. “In 2012, I met my mentor Ammar Shams, who advised me to follow my dream.

“I am an inspiration in the community now, and that’s rewarding, but it was a long journey from sorting business plans to getting approvals … I got many rejections because the idea of teaching the dialect is new,” she says.

Perhaps even more inspirational is the fact that this passionate businesswoman, who has a full-time government job, has built the curriculum from scratch and created a phrase book, too.

Original article by Melinda Healy

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My UAE: Hanan Al Fardan, co-founder of Al Ramsa