At Siraj in Dubai, one of the most personal dishes on the menu comes from Heba Rumhein's mother's kitchen. In a 2025 feature, the MICHELIN Guide highlighted the restaurant's "mum's ouzi", a family recipe that connects Rumhein's Syrian heritage with the Emirati and Levantine food served at Siraj. It is a fitting introduction to an entrepreneur whose work has long brought food, design and hospitality together.

Rumhein is a Syrian entrepreneur based in Dubai. She founded Siraj Restaurant and The H Concepts & Events, after building a career in luxury hotels and event production. Her businesses operate in different fields, but both grew from an interest in how spaces, service and cultural traditions shape people's experiences.

Heba Rumhein: Profile Snapshot

• Name: Heba Rumhein
• Nationality: Syrian
• Professional base: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Profession: Entrepreneur, restaurateur and event creator
• Founded: Siraj Restaurant and The H Concepts & Events
• Earlier venture: Eventique, launched in collaboration with MBC Group in 2011
• Recognition: EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women, EMEIA Class of 2023

A Career Shaped by Dubai's Hospitality Industry

Rumhein grew up around hospitality. In a 2025 interview with Villa 88, she recalled watching her parents run a hotel and learning from her mother's work in its operations. Cooking was part of family life, but her first professional foundation came from managing experiences for other people.

She worked as director of events at Atlantis, The Palm, and held a senior events position at Madinat Jumeirah, including its VIP events division. Those roles introduced her to the planning, coordination and demanding standards of large-scale hospitality.

Eventique, MBC Group and the Move Into Business

In 2011, Rumhein launched the event agency Eventique in collaboration with MBC Group. In an interview published by Laha in 2013, she described discussions with the media group that developed from an earlier project into plans for an event-management business.

The venture connected her hotel experience with creative production. It also marked an important shift: instead of delivering events within an established hotel, she was developing concepts under a business of her own. She later established businesses in dining and event design under her own leadership.

Siraj: Bringing Syrian and Emirati Food Traditions Together

In 2016, Rumhein established Siraj Restaurant at Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai. The idea drew on her Syrian roots and her experience of life in the UAE. Rather than choose between the two cuisines, Siraj brought Emirati and Levantine dishes into a single restaurant concept.

The restaurant's design carries the same regional influences as its menu. Its setting near the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa makes the dining environment part of the experience, while dishes such as mum's ouzi retain a direct connection to family cooking.

Siraj was MICHELIN-selected in the 2023 Dubai guide, and the MICHELIN Guide featured Rumhein among women preserving family recipes in Dubai in 2025. Its recognition was as a MICHELIN-selected restaurant, not as a recipient of a MICHELIN Star.

The H Concepts & Events: Designing the Entire Experience

A year after opening Siraj, Rumhein founded The H Concepts & Events in 2017. The Dubai agency works across weddings, corporate functions, social celebrations and private events. Its services extend beyond planning to concept development, interior and set design, production, supplier coordination and on-site management.

Her professional record also includes work associated with the International Government Communication Forum, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award and the Dubai International Film Festival, according to EY's profile of her career. The projects reflect a professional portfolio that extended beyond private celebrations to public and institutional events.

Recognition and Plans Beyond Dubai

In 2023, Rumhein was included in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women EMEIA class. The program brings together women founders and supports their development through business networks and leadership opportunities.

In her 2025 Villa 88 interview, Rumhein spoke about ambitions to expand Siraj to other locations while continuing to develop its menu and customer experience. Those comments describe her plans at the time, rather than confirming that any new restaurant has opened.

Heba Rumhein on Famousi

Rumhein's work gives readers two closely connected stories to follow: the evolving food culture at Siraj and the design-led events created by The H Concepts & Events. Both reflect her move from hotel hospitality into building businesses that serve their own audiences.

Famousi can follow new restaurant developments, event projects and relevant brand stories as they are announced and documented. For readers interested in visiting Siraj, Famousi can also cover public restaurant promotions when their terms and availability are confirmed.

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