Housewife-turned-CEO now lives in Dubai mansion with 24k gold ceilings. Who is she?

From luxury living to entrepreneurship, Anita Surani founded Zena Interiors in Dubai with a focus on independence and hard work.

With a mansion on Palm Jumeirah, 24-karat gold ceilings, and a pink Mercedes G-Wagon for her daughter, Anita Surani had all the glam she could ask for in Dubai. Still, instead of settling into luxury, she rolled up her sleeves and launched her own interior design company from scratch.

Anit Surani worked part-time jobs in the US to make ends meet before launching her own interior design business. (Instagram/makeupbymuskaan, xenainteriordesign)

“I have a lot of money. I could’ve just shopped. But I didn’t. And I continued," she told Gulf News in an interview.

A power partnership

Raised in a middle-class family, she moved to the US as a student and met her husband while working part-time jobs to make ends meet. In her "struggling phase," she worked at a jewellery store and met Moiz Khoja, who cleaned restaurant floors.

Together, the couple built a retail tech empire, starting with a tiny phone kiosk in a mall and grew it to over 100 stores. “We were partners, friends, and then a couple,” she said.

Turning passion into a business

While he continued to build their tech business, Surani turned to her design degree and started "practising" in real estate. When she felt ready, she teamed up with a colleague who had 12 years of experience and founded her own interior design company in Dubai.

But the market was too competitive, so they started small. From building offices and apartments, she eventually landed villas and restaurants. Today, Xena Interiors has over 40 employees, including engineers, architects, graphic designers, and interior designers.

Inspiration close to home

She said the motivation behind her work is her daughter. “I wanted to show my daughter that we can balance everything. That we can achieve whatever we want. That’s why I named the company after her — Zena," she added.

Though her home is luxurious, Anita doesn’t rely on family wealth to fund her business. Early on, her husband set clear boundaries—she had to repay the office investment and cover her employees' salaries independently. The pressure pushed her to work even harder, fueling her drive to grow the company.

“I enjoy money, and I work hard for it,” she said. “It feels satisfying when you’re using the fortune you are making yourself.”