When people ask her where she is from, Maria Pruna proudly says, “I was born in Romania, but I was made in Dubai.”

Maria’s journey is one that speaks to courage, hope, and the fire to build something meaningful in a new land.

From Belgium to New Dreams

Maria spent 13 years in Belgium working across administration, operations, sales, and business development before stepping into entrepreneurship. In 2022, she acquired her first carwash business, where she managed a team of five and expanded services to private clients. Within three years, she successfully doubled its value and her business was thriving. Yet, something about Dubai kept calling to her.

It all started when she noticed a wave of LinkedIn posts about Dubai, stories about jobs, lifestyle, and opportunities in the UAE. The more she read, the more she felt drawn to it. She was curious, excited, and a little nervous.

Discovering UAEJobSeekers.com

That was when she stumbled upon uaejobseekers.com, a site that became her guide.

For Maria, the website was like a discovery box. With one click she found access to job portals, recruitment companies, guidance blogs, and resources she never knew existed. She bookmarked the site and visited it regularly to prepare herself for the move. She also subscribed to the UAE Job Seekers WhatsApp channel with more than 28,000 members. That gave her a sense of community, even before she landed in Dubai.

Taking the Leap

Finally, she made the bold decision to relocate. She knew no one in Dubai and was stepping into the unknown, but her adventurous spirit carried her forward. The moment she landed, she felt the city’s energy. Its pace, its vision, and its diversity pulled her in. 

Within weeks of being in Dubai, she noticed something magical happening. Her LinkedIn was buzzing like never before. Opportunities, partnerships, and ideas were flowing her way. She realized Dubai was not just a place to work, it was a place to create.

Starting from Scratch

That realization sparked a new chapter. Maria decided to start her own venture: My Car Care - Car Wash Centre. A hand carwash in Industrial Area 12 Sharjah, specialized in full car body wash, detailing and car polishing.

Like every entrepreneur, her first steps were not easy. There were endless tasks, from understanding the market to handling licenses and building a customer base. At times, the challenges felt overwhelming. She had moments of doubt, being all by herself in a new country. As a woman entrepreneur, owning a carwash business is a daunting job. But what kept her going was her determination. She reminded herself why she came here in the first place, to grow, to learn, and to prove to herself that she could make it.

Eight Months Later

Eight months later, her business is up and running, and she is loving every moment of it. She has built a team, gained loyal customers, and continues to grow. But more than the business itself, it is the journey that has transformed her.

“Dubai shaped me in ways I never imagined,” she says. “I came here with curiosity, but I found courage. I came here searching for opportunities, but I found myself. I was born in Romania, but I was made in Dubai.”

Maria is now on a journey to give back to Dubai and its society and embarks on a journey to empower other female entrepreneurs to stand out from the crowd and build businesses for themselves. She is a #IamRemarkable workshop facilitator since 2018, has delivered the training to more than 400 people and is now starting to offer it for free for the fellow residents in Dubai. Her mission is to empower women from all business sectors “ditch the impostor syndrome” and start building businesses with confidence. 

The Power of Taking a Chance

Maria’s story is a reminder that sometimes all it takes is one spark to change the course of your life. For her, that spark began with a simple LinkedIn scroll, fueled by the support and resources she discovered through uaejobseekers.com. Today she is not only a professional but also an entrepreneur who carries the spirit of Dubai with her every day.

Her journey shows that the UAE is not just a destination for work, but a place where dreams can take shape. And for those willing to take the leap, Dubai has a way of turning ambition into reality.