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There’s something quietly powerful about a founder whose long-term vision finally comes to life.
For Snob, that moment has arrived nearly eight years in. The Dubai-born salon – which has been a long-considered word-of-mouth staple amongst those who know – has recently relocated, marking a new chapter, which feels like a moment of the homegrown venue coming into itself.
Founded by Haneen Odeh, a former beauty editor, Snob has always intended to be more than a mere salon. And now, more than ever, both in its physical space and brand philosophy, it reflects exactly that.
“Seven years feels like both a blink and a lifetime,” the Palestinian entrepreneur tells GRAZIA. “When I started Snob, I had a clear vision: a true one-stop destination where you could get every beauty service done, and done really well.”
Perhaps it’s a coming-of-age and a commitment to long-standing brand and relationship-building; the new Jumeirah Beach Road location reflects that, Haneen explains.
“This new space is that vision fully realised,” she says. “It’s bigger, more polished, more airy, it’s purpose-built with an eye for every design detail and a fresh new palette that just feels like us, elevated.
“Personally, it represents a kind of arrival. You put in the years, you learn, you grow, and then one day you get to see it all come to life in a space that finally matches what you had in your head from the beginning.”
That specific idea of “arrival” is tangible the moment you step inside. The entire space is twice the size of its predecessor venue.
Designed in collaboration with Dubai-based studio Carousel Casa, the villa leans into a soft Mediterranean sensibility, featuring travertine textures, warm earth tones, and diffused lighting. A curated, calm feeling which is considered and quietly luxurious. True to Snob’s DNA, which you’ll know if you’re a long-standing client.
Beyond the aesthetics, the homegrown salon has expanded operationally, too. The expanded Snob space now houses everything from dedicated hammam rooms (a must-try FYI) and a massage suite, as well as a terrace designed for post-treatment unwinding. This in itself reinforces Snob’s shit from a service-led salon to a more holistic approach to the brand as an experience-driven destination.
But for Haneen, the essence of Snob’s goals “has never changed”.
“It’s quality across the board, no compromises,” she affirms. “But my understanding of what Snob could be has deepened. It was never just about the services; it became about the experience, the feeling you walk away with. Over the years, I’ve become more intentional about everything, the space, the team, the atmosphere.”
Simply put, the new location of the salon is just a physical reminder of Snob’s evolution – “same heart but with an elevated and sharper execution”, as Haneen puts it.
It’s a philosophy that feels particularly resonant in today’s beauty landscape – one that has matured rapidly across the region. Something which Haneen has a front row seat to, being a former beauty editor and now a beauty entrepreneur.
“The industry here has matured enormously,” she notes. “Clients are more educated, more discerning, and they know what they want and they won’t settle. That’s honestly exciting because it pushes you to keep evolving. Snob has always positioned itself at the intersection of quality and experience with a focus on wellbeing, and I think that’s more relevant now than ever. We’re not chasing trends; we’re focused on being really, really good at what we do, consistently. In a crowded market, that’s what builds loyalty.”
And it’s that loyalty which is at the heart of Snob and runs deep in the brand DNA of the beloved beauty spot.
“Dubai has been incredibly generous to Snob,” Haneen reflects. “There’s a real appetite here for supporting independent businesses, and the community that has grown around us over seven years is something I don’t take for granted.”
In fact, she refers to them as “family”, not simply clients.
“Many of them have been with us from the very beginning, and they’ve brought their friends, their sisters, their daughters,” she explains. “We’ve celebrated with them milestones like birthdays, baby showers, weddings and graduations. That word-of-mouth, that loyalty, is what allowed us to grow into a space like this. The UAE gives you the platform, but the people make it real.”
It’s that sense of warmth that something Haneen attributes deeply to her identity – both professionally and personally.
“Growing up with that background instilled in me a real appreciation for warmth, hospitality and taking care of people. These values that are deeply embedded in how I run Snob,” she says.
“For me, a salon was never just a transactional place. It’s somewhere people should feel genuinely looked after. That sense of community, of people feeling at home when they walk in, has always been at the centre of everything I build.”
And as if this milestone with Snob wasn’t already significant enough, this chapter for Haneen arrives alongside another: motherhood.
“Honestly, it’s making me even more intentional,” she admits. “There’s something about becoming a mother that sharpens your focus; you stop spending energy on things that don’t matter and get very clear on what does.”
Affirming she’s “excited” for motherhood, Haneen feels the synergy of stepping into a new chapter in her personal life and professional life “feels incredibly aligned”.
“I want to build something my child grows up being proud of. That’s a new kind of motivation I didn’t have before, and it’s powerful.”
