UAE: Meet the 27-year-old Emirati selected for a prestigious UN women’s program – News

Her company, Bumblebee, is widely recognized for providing nutritious and convenient meal options for busy parents

A 27-year-old Emirati has achieved remarkable feats and has been selected to participate in a prestigious UN women’s programme. Qadreya Al Awadhi, founder and CEO of local business Bumblebee, which provides ready-made frozen meal plans for babies and toddlers, has earned recognition for her innovative approach to addressing the nutritional needs of young children.

Under Al Awadhi’s leadership, Bumblebee has been widely recognized for its mission to provide nutritious and convenient meal options for busy parents.

The idea for the business was born when she was caring for a friend’s son who was weaning and realized they couldn’t find any healthy or nutritious meals for him in the supermarket or local grocery store.

The only options available at the time were meals devoid of flavour, color and nutrition. Qadreya identified this gap in the market and was determined to help mothers provide their babies with healthy alternatives. Thus was born Bumblebee, an infant meal plan that meets the needs of new parents by providing nutritious and delicious meals for infants and toddlers.

With a mission to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food, Qadreya started her business with an initial self-investment of AED 150,000. To understand the macronutrients and nutritional value of a meal, she hired a pediatric nutritionist and a chef to help develop menu choices to meet the dietary needs of the child.

By utilizing natural and high-quality ingredients, they develop recipes that are not only nutritious but also delicious. All meals at Bumblebee are cooked from scratch, including sauces, offering a variety of new flavors and textures with each meal.

Born and raised in Dubai, Qadreya studied Finance at Zayed University and subsequently completed a Masters in International Business at the University of Wollongong. She also currently manages a full-time job at one of the largest financial institutions in the world.

Qadreya is passionate about volunteering to help and educate young people, especially in the financial sector, and has successfully won several awards for her company. She also earned a certificate in culinary school before founding Bumblebee.