This is the story of the region’s ultimate moonlighters. Some people never lose that itch to do it all. Instead of narrowing down, they doubled up (maybe even tripled). Today, they are switching between worlds with ease, running boardrooms by day and commanding festival stages by night.
Zeina Khoury is a 41-year-old Lebanese powerhouse based in Dubai. Entrepreneur, reality TV personality, fashion founder, Zeina has built a life where moonlighting is not a side hustle, it is second nature. By day she is leading Zed Capital Real Estate and Zed Living Holiday Homes, by night she is running her fashion brand I Am The Company, all while raising a family and managing a global platform.
CosmoME: You have worn many hats: real estate, fashion, TV. Do you feel one defines you more than the others?
Zeina: Honestly, no. Real estate gave me the foundation, fashion gave me a creative outlet, and TV gave me visibility. What defines me is resilience, the drive to keep evolving and refusing to fit into just one box.
CosmoME: Dubai’s luxury real estate scene is famously competitive. What has been a pinch-me career moment in that space?
Zeina: In the very early days of Zed Capital, our office was not even finished when we landed a huge exclusive project just three months in. Pulling it off seamlessly set the tone for the kind of player we wanted to be. Less than two years later, we were already launching our fifth project.
CosmoME: And outside of real estate, what lessons have you taken from your other ventures?
Zeina: Real estate taught me persistence; reality TV taught me how to own my story and leverage visibility. With I Am The Company, I learned how creativity can empower. Every blazer is about women stepping into their power. That has been my biggest lesson: business can be bold, profitable, and meaningful at the same time.
CosmoME: Did stepping into reality TV change your career or personal brand?
Zeina: It did not change who I am, it just amplified it. The show gave me a platform to share my journey as someone who built success from scratch. That authenticity resonated with people and opened doors that hard work alone sometimes cannot.
CosmoME: People often underestimate what it takes to juggle entrepreneurship, TV, and social media. What is the part nobody sees?
Zeina: Behind the scenes, I am a mother, I run multiple brands, I manage teams, and I make countless decisions daily. Social media is just a glimpse. Staying authentic while doing all of that takes effort and discipline, but also humour.
CosmoME: How do you balance authenticity with the curated perfection people expect online?
Zeina: Curated does not have to mean fake. I show the parts that matter: my work, my values, my personality. Sometimes it is polished, sometimes it is raw, but it is always me.
CosmoME: You have built a name in male-dominated industries. How do you turn that into your power?
Zeina: By showing up with expertise and knowing my value. I do not try to fit into someone else’s rules, I make my own. For me, thriving in those spaces is not about proving anyone wrong, it is about proving myself right.
CosmoME: And finally, what does success mean to you today?
Zeina: In the beginning, success was about proving myself. Now, it is about impact, taking my companies to the next level, creating opportunities for my teams, and contributing to the community while still having the freedom to live on my terms.
Continue reading about another Middle Eastern moonlighter here.