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

Her business, Bumblebee, has gained widespread recognition for its mission to make nutritious and convenient meal options accessible to busy parents

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In a remarkable achievement, a 27-year-old Emirati has been selected to participate in a prestigious United Nations Women's Programme. Qadreya Al Awadhi, founder and CEO of Bumblebee, a local business offering ready-made frozen meal plans for babies and toddlers, has earned recognition for her innovative approach towards addressing the nutritional needs of young children.

Bumblebee, under the leadership of Al Awadhi, has gained widespread recognition for its mission to make nutritious and convenient meal options accessible to busy parents.

The idea of her business began when she babysat her friend's son who was being weaned, and realised they couldn’t find any healthy or nutritious meals for him at the supermarket or local grocery.

The only options available at the time were meals that lacked flavour, colour, and nutrition. Qadreya identified this gap in the market and was determined to help mothers provide a healthy alternative for their babies. Thus was born Bumblebee, a baby meal plan catering to the needs of new parents by providing nutritious and delicious meals for babies and toddlers.

With a mission to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food, Qadreya kick-started her business with an initial self-investment of Dh150,000. In order to understand a meal's macronutrients and nutritional value, she onboarded a paediatric nutritionist and a chef to help develop a menu selection to suit a child’s dietary needs.

By utilising natural and high-quality ingredients, together, they developed recipes that were not only nutritious but also delicious. All of Bumblebee’s meals are cooked from scratch, including the sauces, and offer various new flavours and textures for every meal.

Born and raised in Dubai, Qadreya studied Finance at Zayed University followed by a Master's from The University of Wollongong in International Business. She currently also manages a full-time job working with one of the biggest financial institutions in the world.

Qadreya is passionate about voluntary work to help and educate young people, especially in the financial field, and has successfully won multiple awards for her company. She also received a certification from a culinary school before establishing Bumblebee.

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