Fruit Seller From Kerala Built Al Ijaza From Scratch

In 1978, a young man left Kerala, India, with nothing but a dream. For 12 years, he sold fruits in Dubai’s Hamriya Market — saving every dirham, learning this city from the ground up. And in 1990, he opened a small cafeteria window in Jumeirah with two or three tables and zero guarantees. Today — Al Ijaza Cafeteria is a UAE legend. A 15-page menu. 500+ dishes. 150+ signature juices with names only Dubai people understand. Featured in the first Hollywood film made in Dubai. On Emirates flights. And visited by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum himself. We sat down with Jaseem — son of the founder — who is now carrying his father’s 35-year legacy forward. And what he told us… we weren’t ready for. This is Stories From UAE Iconics. And this one hit different....