The key facts
- Fix Dessert, founded by Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani, won the business projects category at the first Dubai-it awards
- According to Sheikh Hamdan, sales of Dubai-style chocolate grew by 1234% over the year, with products sold in more than 100 airports
- Since 2021, the brand has opened two stores at Dubai Airport, an outlet at Singapore’s Changi and a concession at Harrods in London
The Dubai-it award for the creators of Dubai chocolate
The Dubai brand Fix Dessert, behind the viral Dubai chocolate phenomenon, has become one of the winners of the first Dubai-it awards, taking first place in the business projects category. The company, run by the married couple Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani, gained worldwide fame in 2024 thanks to the Can’t Get Knafeh of It bar — a dessert with pistachios, knafeh and tahini, The National reports.
Sheikh Hamdan’s praise
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, congratulated the company in a post on X. According to him, Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani turned a home-based business in Dubai into a global success: sales of Dubai-style chocolate grew by 1234% in a single year, and today these products are sold in markets around the world and in more than 100 airports. “This is the Dubai-it spirit: turning a simple home business into a global success. Congratulations to the Fix Dessert team,” The National quoted Sheikh Hamdan as saying.
The brand’s growth since 2021
Since launching online in 2021, the brand has grown to two stores at Dubai International Airport, one outlet at Singapore’s Changi Airport and a concession at Harrods in London; the company has also held pop-ups across the UAE. Its range now includes 10 dessert bars, including seasonal and limited-edition lines.
What the Dubai-it award is
The Dubai-it strategy was presented in June by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to spread the emirate’s culture of excellence among companies, institutions and future generations. He said it would serve as a launchpad for future success, noting that Dubai’s achievements were built on “delivering exceptional results in record time, with precision and excellence.” The award was established to celebrate the innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence of the city’s residents and companies. Earlier this month, SWS Board Technology — a Dubai-based manufacturer that produces nearly half of the world’s kiteboards and wakeboards.
Why it matters
The Dubai-it award cements Fix Dessert’s status as an example of how a home-based business from Dubai can scale to a global level: according to figures cited by Sheikh Hamdan, the brand’s products are already available in more than 100 airports. For entrepreneurs in the emirate, it is a signal that government support is now formalised through the new award established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in June. In practical terms, this means the emergence of a public benchmark of success for Dubai companies — alongside the already announced winner of the economy category, SWS Board Technology.
