January 29, 2024 | By Atlantis Team

Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanese-native Nour considers the city a part of her. From school to university, making lifelong friends, and opening a new door to Dubai, Beirut stood by Nour in all her major milestones and welcomes her with open arms every time she visits. Having spent her developmental years there, she describes growing up in Beirut to be an essential element in forming the person she is today.

“Leaving behind my life, heart and soul in Beirut was no easy feat. It was incredibly challenging, especially being the only girl in a close-knit family. Although they were stunned by my choice to start anew somewhere else, they supported me in ultimate faith that this would bring me new opportunities for growth and most importantly, fulfillment. My family always wanted to see me realise my dreams of being a successful woman, especially having witnessed the grueling hours I put into my studies. After securing two bachelor’s degrees and my master’s, it was clear as day to my family that they needed to back my decision – and they did.

During the second year of my master’s in digital media, it was required that I go out into the world and secure some real-life experience as an intern. I hadn’t dreamed, however, that it would be at Atlantis Dubai. There is no better place to start than Atlantis and for me, it was a dream come true. When I first came to visit Dubai in 2013, it was also my first time visiting Atlantis, The Palm. It was a breathtaking experience. I promised myself I would return for a visit once more, but never imagined I would return to join the A Team. It is a dream place to be at, work in, and grow.

You know, it’s a common misconception when you’re a kid that to be successful you have to be a doctor or engineer, and I feel like we have all been victims of this belief. I think success is subjective, and I believe it is something you create. You could run a really successful lemonade stand, for example. I have always had my eye on the media. Although my family pictured a career for me in the medical, engineering, or law fields, I only ever pursued what my heart desired: PR.

When I joined Atlantis two years and four months ago as an Intern, little did I know this was only the beginning. I planned on finishing my master’s in Lebanon and then taking life from there. When I started my internship, however, I quickly realised there is no other place like Atlantis. I rolled up my sleeves and dove deep into the business, the industry, and everything in between. With my internship coming to a close, I was offered to stay on with Atlantis, but not as an Intern. I got promoted to Assistant Manager and soon learned that not only had my dream come to life, but it was also getting bigger. My world changed when I signed my contract in December 2021. When you’re in a place where you’re pushed and you’re challenged, your aspirations, motivations and ownership grows. People say you only get one shot in life, but the truth is you actually get a shot every day. The ultimate showdown for me was at the crux of the Grand Reveal of Atlantis The Royal.

During my internship, the key takeaway was bringing everything I learned on paper to the real world. Making practical use of theoretical study was the most necessary step at that time. When I progressed to Assistant Manager, I felt it was time to move past that and dive deeper into proving myself and growing my PR-based skillset... and the Grand Reveal couldn’t have come at a better time. With the stars aligned, Beyoncé’s sensational performance, and four months of hard work, I reached one of the highlights of my professional career and distinguished myself as a true PR person. The connections made, contacts met, and relationships built were part of an incomparable moment in my career. It was euphoric – I felt like I was not simply living the dream, I was making the dream reality. I rubbed shoulders with some of the most influential people in GCC & MENA: Nawl El Zoghbi, Khalid Selim, Ramy Sabry, Lujain Omran, the Dubai Bling crew, Huda Kattan. My advice to other Colleagues: don’t give up and never ever let yourself get to the point where you are burnt out. Take everything as an opportunity to learn, and always remember that the effort it takes to show up every day as your best self to do what you are passionate about, is never harder than the stress of not being able to do so. When you expect success, success expects you.”

Life Is What You Make Of It