Nadiya started its commercial operations in 2006 in JAFZA. Since that time, it expanded its presence from the UAE across various geographical boundaries.
We caught up with the company’s General Manager, Nicolas Papadopoulos, to find out how Nadiya originated and why they chose Beehive for funding.
Nadiya Date’s Story
What does your business do?
Nadiya offers a range of beautifully packaged luxury dates for the corporate, hotel, foodservice and retail sectors, including duty frees and airlines. We specialise in delivering high quality and unique presentation gift boxes that reflect our local heritage and the traditions of Arabian hospitality.
We select only the finest quality Arabian dates for our specially created gift boxes and we work with many of the farms considered to be the world’s finest producers of dates in terms of taste, colour and size. Nadiya has a strong cultural tradition in the Gulf region and our entire operation, including production, quality control and distribution, is based here in Dubai. This enables us to ensure that our products are delivered to our valued customers in the freshest and most pristine condition.
How did the business come to be?
The business was the brainchild of Ossama Zainy, the owner and chairman of the company back in 2002. He saw the need to manufacture and produce one of the main products of the region in a more presentable manner, both in terms of attractive packaging and quality processing of the dates.
And so, Nadiya was born from the desire to bring fresh dates, a traditional expression of Arabian hospitality, to a wider market and to extend the flavour combinations to suit today’s more sophisticated consumer.
What are your business plans for the next 12 months?
We are looking to grow our travel retail business and enter the Qatari market again.
What’s going well in the business?
Just recently, the travel retail market has significantly picked up in the UAE and KSA.
About the Funding
How did you find Beehive and why did you choose them for funding?
We tried reaching out to conventional banks before, but their process takes time and they need numerous documents. We heard about Beehive through personal contact on a social occasion and we decided to choose them for funding because of their attractive terms for SMEs, and their process is very smooth when compared to other options such as banks.
Where did you use the funds you raised on Beehive?
The funds were utilized for our general working capital, such as purchasing dates and new packaging.
What advice would you give to business owners considering funding?
If you’re struggling to get funds for your business, contact Beehive! They are an excellent platform for funding SMEs at various stages of development.
