Entrepreneurial Belgian Couple Moved to Dubai

Entrepreneurial Couple Moved to Dubai – “Not a Single Regret: Here, They Want to Be the Best at Everything”

“Dubai is a piece of land run like a business. For entrepreneurial minds like ours, it was love at first sight.” Since December 2020, Yves Vekemans (49) and Inge Van Belle (47), founders of the Mechelen-based Herculean Alliance, have been living permanently in the Gulf city with their teenage children Amaury (17) and Julietta (14). “In Belgium, mediocrity is often good enough. In Dubai, they aim to be the best in the world—at everything.”

When we speak, the air conditioning in their Dubai apartment is working overtime. It’s 48°C outside.
“Extremely hot, of course. In Dubai, you live indoors during the summer, just like people do in Belgium in winter. But here you have so much more light—it’s far more pleasant. Sunshine brings happiness,” Yves explains. Whether it's the sun or not is debatable, but what follows is a wholehearted tribute to their new homeland.

Dubai, a city and emirate in the UAE bordering Saudi Arabia and across from Iran, first came on Yves and Inge’s radar during the international expansion of their company Herculean Alliance, which specialises in employee engagement. Their most well-known initiative, Hercules Trophy, is a fun and competitive corporate team challenge, taking place this and next weekend in De Nekker, Mechelen—their Belgian hometown.

“We first came to Dubai in 2008 to launch Hercules Trophy,” says Yves. “We were instantly impressed, even though Dubai wasn’t nearly what it is today. Burj Khalifa wasn’t completed, Dubai Mall wasn’t open, Dubai Marina was still under construction… But what fascinated us was how fast everything gets done here. Dubai is run like a company—with multi-year plans that actually get executed. That really resonated with us as entrepreneurs. We love progress.”

Teenagers in Tow

The idea of relocating began to grow even back then.
“But we didn’t take the step. Belgium is a great place to live, the kids were happy, our lifestyle was comfortable—why change that?” says Inge.
“Then the pandemic hit, and things accelerated. Dubai closed its borders completely due to the strict lockdown, and our business partner there was diagnosed with cancer and shut down his office. When the first restrictions eased, Yves flew to Dubai to decide: either we stop our activities here, or we go all-in and move if the economy rebounds. It was intense, but everything fell into place. We made the decision in August 2020 and moved just before Christmas.”

Their lush villa in green, leafy Keerbergen has since been sold. The contrast couldn’t be greater: after nearly 20 years in a quiet residential area, they now live in a high-rise on the 48th floor, with views of deserts and skyscrapers replacing forests and farmland. Asparagus and Belgian endive are off the menu.
But the biggest challenge wasn’t adapting to a new environment—it was taking the kids along for the ride.

“That was tough,” Yves admits.
“Our youngest daughter was excited—she had seen it coming. A few years ago, a teacher asked her what high school path she wanted to follow. She replied, ‘It doesn’t really matter, I’ll be in Dubai by then,’” he laughs.
“My eldest daughter from a previous relationship, now 21, is happy in Belgium and doesn’t like the heat. It was clear early on she would stay behind.”
“The hardest part was with our son. Amaury was 16, had a great group of friends and loved his school. It hit hard. We handled it very carefully, and he’s thriving here now. He’s made lots of new friends and is grateful we made this move.”

The Misconceptions About Dubai

“One thing that really saddens us is the negative narrative many Belgians still have about Dubai,” says Yves. “They focus on clichés, calling it a rogue state. But there are criminals in Belgium too. What people often miss are all the positive developments happening here. Dubai wants to be the best in the world—whether it’s energy, education, healthcare, technology—you name it. And that clear vision attracts the right people.”

Dubai presents itself as neutral and apolitical, much like Switzerland. It also shares similarities with Monaco: there’s no income or personal tax.
“That doesn’t mean it’s cheap,” Yves clarifies. “You do pay indirect taxes—like those on real estate.
And there are misconceptions about Dubai’s economy: it’s no longer dependent on oil. The majority of revenue comes from tourism, transport, and trade via the port and airport.”

Cultural Shifts

The family has now fully settled in Dubai.
“Especially with our kids, the transformation after one year was incredible. We no longer have to push them to study. They excel on their own: reading, playing chess, sports, theatre... They’ve embraced the spirit of excellence that’s so strong here. It proves how powerful your environment can be in shaping who you become,” say Yves and Inge.

According to them, the belief in progress is slowly fading in Belgium and Western Europe.
“We don’t want to be negative about Belgium. But just look at how education is evolving… The drive to excel is disappearing. Everything’s becoming average.
When all schools closed during the pandemic, and we saw how damaging that was for the children, that was the final push for us.”

Dubai is a melting pot of over 200 nationalities and all religions.
“That only works when people are open-minded,” says Inge.
“There’s huge tolerance towards different cultures. No one’s hugging each other all the time, but everything starts from mutual respect. ‘We don’t judge’ is something I often hear my daughter say—even when I complain about a crazy driver,” she laughs.

“In Europe, as a foreigner, you’re often seen as an outsider. Here, you’re an expat,” adds Yves.
“In the West, you’re forced to pick a side: for or against. That polarisation doesn’t exist here. Dubai has one clear vision: you’re welcome if you’re here to work and contribute—otherwise, this may not be your place.
Whether you agree with that or not, it’s at least a strong leadership model. Europe has become too much ‘vanilla’—a little bit of everything, without direction.”

Of course, they also had to adapt to cultural differences.
“In Belgium, a word is a word. Not here. You might get a message half an hour before an appointment saying they’re not coming,” Inge laughs.
“You have to earn that level of trust. That takes time and can be frustrating. Often, it means you need to formalise everything far more than we’re used to.”

And the cultural lens swings both ways.
“They see us Westerners as too individualistic,” says Inge. “For them, family comes first. If someone in the family passes away, it’s totally normal to take a month off work. They see us as cold and too rational in that respect.”

Still Connected to Belgium

There are about 2,000 Belgians living in Dubai, and Yves and Inge say that helps maintain ties with home.
Still, they now fully consider Dubai their home.
“That’s a big mental step,” says Inge. “We still visit Belgium regularly—especially me. We have our business there, and our family. Leaving ageing parents behind was one of the hardest things.”

After a few international ventures, their company Herculean Alliance now focuses on Belgium and the UAE.
“If Tomorrowland ever comes to Dubai, we’ll organise the Hercules Trophy alongside it in November. Inge’s management book is being tailored to the Middle Eastern labour market. We’re currently guiding the Dubai Police in engagement and wellbeing—they want to become the best police force in the world.”

Organising Hercules Trophy in Dubai does look a bit different than in Belgium, though.
“There’s no camel-riding challenge in Mechelen,” Yves laughs.

For Yves and Inge, business and personal life are deeply intertwined—and so are their plans for the future.
“Emotionally, I don’t think our kids will return to Belgium. I believe they’re becoming global citizens,” says Yves.
“As entrepreneurs, we’re also watching developments in Saudi Arabia. The changes happening there give me the same feeling Dubai did ten years ago. Who knows—maybe we’ll be living there in another decade.”

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