A Day in the Life of Ambareen Musa

Who: Ambareen Musa

What: Founder and CEO of Souqalmal.com, the first independent comparison website in the Middle East, offering detailed results on everything from credit cards and loan packages to mobile phone plans and schools

What is the first work-related thing you think of when you wake up?

I think about my day ahead, the items on my to-do list.

Describe your work in one line.

Building the culture of comparison in the UAE.

What is your #1 personal principle/success mantra at work?

Raise the bar for yourself and your team on all your tasks.

In your workday, what is the one thing you cannot do without?

I would have to say my team. Everyone has a very distinct role and, as a team, we are growing Souqalmal.com to where we want it to be.

What is your favourite place for a business lunch?

Urban Bistro in Dubai Media City.

Who’s your role model as the perfect professional?

[British entrepreneur] James Caan — he is inspiring and has always had the quality of the product and the customer in mind.

What’s your idea of switching off? And what’s your idea of an ideal weekend?

I switch off with the family. My husband and I have quite some long hours in terms of work and we both try and spend quality time with our two-and-a-half-year-old.

What is the last thing you (usually) do before you go to sleep?

Go through the day in my mind — the good and the bad — and share some of my concerns with my husband. He is very good at dealing with difficult situations.

As told to Karen Ann Monsy