We bring together people from niches who’ve already done the miles.

Liliya as Regale Clinic’s mark of quality

Why the lily? It’s not merely an emblem — it’s the name of the person accountable for standards.

Dr Liliya Kuzmenkova is Regale Clinic’s founder and quality curator: multilayered clinician selection, unified protocols, and regular audits of complex cases. If you see the lily on the sign, every step of care has passed through her quality system.

First-person

Interviewer: Boris, for us you’re the “face of a startup”: how do people launch in Dubai, where are the pros and cons, and how do you reach profitability?
Boris: Any launch requires long breath. You need the resources to survive the start. If the product is genuinely high quality, it will take off — but it demands time and conviction.

Interviewer: Your path into healthcare?
Boris: My base is HSE University, then a Master’s at RANEPA (International Management). Sport — basketball — gave me discipline: step by step, fall and get up, work as a team. That’s my managerial framework.

Interviewer: You mentioned the public sector in private…
Boris: I spent years at large plants: subsidies/grants with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, work with export centres, budgeting, procurement control and anti-corruption procedures. It mattered that neither prices nor contracts were “affiliated”.

Interviewer: Tell us about your first business.
Boris: In 2019 we became the official distributors of a Swedish organic water. COVID shut the shelves — we pivoted to DTC (Direct-to-Consumer), i.e. the brand sells directly to the customer without wholesalers or retail. I deliberately did the lot: unloading lorries, logistics, customer comms, courier runs — to understand real unit economics and buyer behaviour.

“We were on shelves from Four Seasons and ‘Gorod-Sad’ at Patriarch Ponds all the way to Vladivostok and Kamchatka — and then we tripped over NATO (we were represented there as well): in February 2022 the Swedish supplier halted shipments and the business closed in a single day.”
In 2021 revenue grew +186%. At the end of 2021 I bought out my partner’s stake and signed a major contract with Tvoy Dom. In 2022 the manufacturer ceased supplies to Russia.

Interviewer: And then?
Boris: I tried dental supplies — but the Russian market had shifted to cheap materials. I repatriated to Israel. Worked as a cook: I wanted to understand a kitchen from the inside, dreamt of my own bar. Tel Aviv kitchens, then a volunteer cook for the army during the war. It leaves a psychological mark.
I planned Paris, but met Liliya, founder of Regale Clinic (Moscow/Dubai). We aligned on vision and I became a partner in Dubai. I arrived on 1 April 2024 and set about the launch.

Interviewer: How do you divide management roles?
Boris: Liliya handles Moscow; I handle Dubai. We decide faster and don’t drown in endless Zooms.

Interviewer: What’s distinct about Dubai?
Boris: Its multinational nature. In Russia you can run social channels in Russian — here that instantly labels you a “Russian clinic”.
We’re international: front-of-house communication is in English, and we speak to patients in their languages wherever possible. I speak several myself and always try to help. We also hired an Arab doctor — the local patient share is ~20% and growing. You must work with several communities at once, not just one.

Interviewer: Let’s talk quality, pricing and “free consultations”.
Boris: We treat once, and properly. Doctor selection goes: portfolio → interview with me and founder Dr Liliya Kuzmenkova (PhD-level, 15+ years’ practice) → a supervised test case on a patient. No compromises on sterilisation or single-use supplies.
“Free” consultations rarely exist in truth: a clinic bears costs the moment someone walks through the door — utilities, licences, front desk, depreciation, software, doctor time. If somewhere everything is “free” and very cheap, the saving is hidden — usually not in the patient’s favour.

Interviewer: Do marketing and collaborations work?
Boris: Touchpoints work. It used to be three to five; now you need 10–15: Maps/site, Instagram Reels, Telegram, schools/nurseries, events, art, sport. We’ve almost stopped paid integrations: either a token amount, or barter/pro bono (no fee) — provided there’s genuine mutual value.
We run medical quizzes: 25–30 guests, teams, partner prizes, proper interaction — plus school tours (hygiene, how a filling is placed, why sterilisation matters). The nearest open date is 26 November.

Interviewer: What’s the hardest part of leadership for you?
Boris: People. Commerce and medicine both demand flexibility. Many specialists arrive in a new country and start from scratch — normal, but it needs support, clear expectations and discipline. A leader often becomes both “commander” and “psychologist”.

Interviewer: Growth plans?
Boris: Scaling within the UAE (Abu Dhabi is the priority). In a year I want an independent source to write: “Regale Clinic has helped 10,000+ patients.” That’s the right metric — it’s about impact, not likes.

Interviewer: On “Russian/not Russian” and international patients.
Boris: We deliberately don’t brand ourselves as a “Russian clinic”. International — for a reason. I spend a lot of time in the lobby, know patients by sight, review treatment plans. For foreigners, clear communication and confidence in protocols are key. With an Arab doctor it’s easier to work with locals, but you still need bridges to every diaspora.

Interviewer: What would you say to future patients?

Boris: Don’t choose by price list or “free consults”. Choose by standards, by the team, by reputation.

At Regale Clinic we don’t sell — we treat properly, first time.

Interview & editing: Ksenia Misiura, Gate DXB