For Kattan, who was born and raised in the United States but lived in the UAE for two years as a child, moving to Dubai was a homecoming. “It’s an extremely fast paced, multicultural environment,” says Kattan, who travels endlessly around the globe for her work as the founder and CEO of Huda Beauty cosmetics. “It’s probably one of the fastest-moving [cities] I’ve ever seen. When I go to New York, New York is way too slow for me.”

Kattan, whose brand headquarters is in Dubai, loves hitting the spa in her downtime. “[It’s] the best,” she says. “It’s about going to the spas, enjoying the massages, doing the hammams, the facials. It’s about investing in yourself for sure.”

And Dubai’s foothold in the beauty world is also growing. Dior opened its first spa in the city in 2024 and the five-star Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel with its three-storey spa will open in 2025. “Dubai is definitely getting a lot more credibility in beauty,” says Kattan. “I have big celebrities asking me, ‘What is happening in Dubai? What are all the treatments that people are doing?'”

But self-care in Dubai isn’t just about spa treatments; its glamorous shops are a strong prescription for retail therapy, while its stunning coastal panoramas refresh mind, body and soul.

Here are Kattan’s favourite ways to indulge in self-care in Dubai.