'I don’t cook, but I love to eat,” says Rashed Al Tayer, the Emirati restaurateur behind eateries such as Neighbors and Terra.
We're sitting inside the Jumeirah branch of Terra, the thick foliage of the rustic venue filtering the harsh sun. “We have more than 200 plants in here,” Al Tayer points out with a smile.
Al Tayer's love for Terra is almost palpable, like a proud parent. Despite studying finance, the Emirati entrepreneur seems to have a natural flair for the restaurant industry.
“I studied in San Diego and graduated in 2013. I came back here and worked in my family's real estate business for about two years, but it felt a bit boring to be honest,” he says. “I decided to do something more in the lifestyle scene.”
Towards the end of 2017, Al Tayer opened Neighbors, a cafe and bakery also in the bustling Jumeirah district. Over the years, the venue has become a go-to community hangout spot in the Dubai district.
“I wanted to expand Neighbors and elevate it, and then I saw this location,” he says, referring to Terra. Keen to open a full-fledged restaurant in the affluent residential community with its low-rise villas and townhouses, Al Tayer decided to forgo his expansion plans and experiment with a new concept.
Terra opened in 2021 and was an instant success. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine, with a broad influence owing to Al Tayer's travels across Europe.
Last year, he brought Terra to Abu Dhabi and, just a few months after its debut, the restaurant was included in the coveted Michelin Guide.
“Next year, we are going to open a third Terra,” he says with a cheery grin.
Despite his nonchalant demeanour, the Emirati entrepreneur has a quiet intensity about him. For example, he tells me how he poured his energy into tasting dozens of coffee beans before opening Neighbors. “Back in the US, I went on a food tour trying about 18 different types of beans in two weeks to get ideas,” he adds.
Everything he learnt from opening Neighbors, Al Tayer used when launching Terra. His attention to detail was sharpened by “experience and many mistakes”.
At Terra, he makes sure his personality shines through in every aspect. “One of my favourite things about opening a restaurant is buying furniture, cutlery and all that,” he says. He adds that guests can experience a part of him “from my favourite food to my style”.
The future
Aside from Terra and Neighbors, Al Tayer also owns the Boston Lane cafe at the Courtyard in Al Quoz. And there are plenty of more projects in the pipeline.
Oppidan, a casual Italian restaurant, will open on Dubai's Al Wasl Road in the next few months.
“I believe there is a gap for casual Italian venues, and I also really love Italian food,” he says.
While the menu is not yet finalised, Al Tayer says it's going to be of the same calibre as Terra, but with a focus on Italian cuisine. He plans to sell fresh handmade pasta at Oppidan, for example, which people can take home to cook.
Perhaps his most ambitious venture so far is CMPLX, pronounced “complex”, a lifestyle hub comprising seven concepts set across 3,000 square metres of land in Al Quoz.
The vision is simple, says Al Tayer, to create a one-stop shop for the community. “You can eat there, organise meetings, work out and even do your hair,” he explains.
Three out of the seven planned venues at CMPLX are in-house. One of them is a “much-elevated version” of Neighbors. In addition to the barber shop and two fitness studios (one for low-impact workouts, another for high-intensity classes), there will also be a boutique selling fashion and homeware, plus a leasable events space.
It's a project that seemingly makes perfect sense for Al Tayer, who still considers real estate his main hustle.
To manage his growing businesses better, Al Tayer has also created Outset, a unifying company that houses all his lifestyle ventures.
This is only the beginning for Outset, he says. “My aim is to have a maximum of 10 to 12 restaurants, and then I will stop,” he adds. “I want to tap into Asian food soon.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
