Dina El Selmy
Founder & CEO
Urban Business institute, Fay Retreats, UBI Digital, Fay of gold
Founder of Future Impact Forum (FIF)
Dina El Selmy is a visionary Arab businesswoman and angel investor whose mission is to empower leaders by fusing cultural heritage, cutting-edge innovation, and transformative wellness into a seamless ecosystem of excellence—a unified force for cultural and economic renaissance across the Arab world and beyond.
A powerhouse of entrepreneurship and impact, Dina founded and leads the Urban Business Institute (UBI), the region’s premier one-stop boutique for executive education, corporate training, and high-impact event management. UBI delivers world-class, tailor-made programs for global organizations, public-sector entities, and entrepreneurs. In partnership with a team of world-class educators and futurists, Dina blends academic rigor with real-world outcomes under a single, seamless umbrella.
Passionate about holistic well-being, she launched Fay Retreats, an exclusive luxury wellness brand that crafts transformative corporate and private retreats in partnership with renowned public-sector tourism authorities. These curated experiences merge mindfulness, adventure, and strategic growth, reigniting team connection, creativity, and performance in some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations.
As a proud advocate for women in tech, Dina launched UBI Digital, a scalable EdTech and edutainment platform that democratizes premium e-learning for public-sector entities, corporations, and communities across the Arab world. Rooted in Arab values yet globally ambitious, the platform bridges academic excellence with industry success and is delivered by a hand-picked faculty of world-renowned educators, futurists, and visionaries.
Drawing from her Sinai heritage and a family legacy in the gold industry, Dina founded Fay of Gold, a luxury jewelry house that celebrates the eternal beauty of her homeland. Each handcrafted piece marries rare Sinai turquoise—the “stone of the heavens”—with luminous gold, turning the golden sands and turquoise seas of #أرض_الفيروز into wearable art that whispers stories of heritage and timeless elegance.
Dina is also the founder of the Future Impact Forum (FIF), a landmark annual summit that unites visionary leaders, trailblazing innovators, and world-class experts to shape the Arab region’s next era of transformative growth. Its inaugural edition boldly tackles three defining initiatives: Leadership in the Digital Era, fusing cutting-edge technology with adaptive leadership to propel organizations confidently into the future; Wellness, Healthcare & Talent Development, elevating national talent and sustainability through a wellness-first lens; and Sustainable Growth, driving renewable energy adoption and resilient governance. FIF is poised to become the region’s signature platform, drawing global minds to turn ambition into enduring impact.
A Harvard-certified expert in innovation implementation and creativity, Dina is a globally sought-after strategic communicator, etiquette and protocol consultant, and keynote speaker. From shaping diplomatic relations across the Middle East to advising Fortune 500 boards, she crafts compelling narratives that align messaging with vision, build unbreakable brands, and inspire action. Her workshops on public speaking, strategic communication, and business etiquette have empowered thousands to navigate global markets with grace and authority.
Her written voice shapes desire and discourse for Marie Claire Arabia and Buro Middle East, where she transforms luxury branding into cultural movements that linger long after the page is turned.
A wife and mother to her daughter Fayrouz—whose name echoes the turquoise heart of Sinai—Dina lives at the intersection of heritage and horizon, rewriting what ambitious Arab entrepreneurs can build, lead, and become.
