{"id":4046,"date":"2025-11-12T10:52:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T07:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/?p=4046"},"modified":"2025-11-12T12:02:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:02:55","slug":"gromkie-startapy-i-startery-dubaya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/2025\/11\/12\/gromkie-startapy-i-startery-dubaya\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai\u2019s Loudest Startups & Starters"},"content":{"rendered":"
We bring together people from niches who\u2019ve already done the miles.<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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Today: Boris Shleyfer, Partner and Head of Development at Regale Clinic<\/strong> \u2014 on holding the line on quality, serving a multinational audience, and not torching your budget on \u201cpaid collaborations\u201d.<\/p>\n

Regale Clinic: every beginning has its story<\/h1>\n

Not every clinic starts at a desk. Some begin with people who believe in quality and the long game. Regale Clinic<\/strong> is the initiative of Dr Liliya Kuzmenkova<\/strong>, a practising restorative dentist and founder of clinics in Moscow and Dubai. In spring 2024, Boris Shleyfer<\/strong> joined the Dubai team as partner \u2014 the project entered a new market while keeping its first principle intact: trust and strict treatment standards first \u2014 scale, marketing and everything else after.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Liliya as Regale Clinic\u2019s mark of quality<\/h2>\n

Why the lily? It\u2019s not merely an emblem \u2014 it\u2019s the name of the person accountable for standards.<\/p>\n

Dr Liliya Kuzmenkova<\/strong> is Regale Clinic\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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First-person<\/h2>\n

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Interviewer:<\/strong> Boris, for us you\u2019re the \u201cface of a startup\u201d: how do people launch in Dubai, where are the pros and cons, and how do you reach profitability?
Boris:<\/strong> Any launch requires long breath. You need the resources to survive the start. If the product is genuinely high quality, it will take off \u2014 but it demands time and conviction.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> Your path into healthcare?
Boris:<\/strong> My base is HSE University, then a Master\u2019s at RANEPA (International Management). Sport \u2014 basketball \u2014 gave me discipline: step by step, fall and get up, work as a team. That\u2019s my managerial framework.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> You mentioned the public sector in private\u2026
Boris:<\/strong> 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 \u201caffiliated\u201d.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> Tell us about your first business.
Boris:<\/strong> In 2019 we became the official distributors of a Swedish organic water. COVID shut the shelves \u2014 we pivoted to DTC (Direct-to-Consumer)<\/strong>, 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 \u2014 to understand real unit economics and buyer behaviour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on shelves from Four Seasons and \u2018Gorod-Sad\u2019 at Patriarch Ponds all the way to Vladivostok and Kamchatka \u2014 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.\u201d<\/em>
In 2021 revenue grew +186%<\/strong>. At the end of 2021 I bought out my partner\u2019s stake and signed a major contract with Tvoy Dom<\/strong>. In 2022 the manufacturer ceased supplies to Russia.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> And then?
Boris:<\/strong> I tried dental supplies \u2014 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<\/strong>, founder of Regale Clinic<\/strong> (Moscow\/Dubai). We aligned on vision and I became a partner in Dubai. I arrived on 1 April 2024<\/strong> and set about the launch.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> How do you divide management roles?
Boris:<\/strong> Liliya handles Moscow; I handle Dubai. We decide faster and don\u2019t drown in endless Zooms.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> What\u2019s distinct about Dubai?
Boris:<\/strong> Its multinational nature. In Russia you can run social channels in Russian \u2014 here that instantly labels you a \u201cRussian clinic\u201d.
We\u2019re international<\/strong>: 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 \u2014 the local patient share is ~20% and growing. You must work with several communities at once, not just one.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk quality, pricing and \u201cfree consultations\u201d.
Boris:<\/strong> We treat once, and properly<\/strong>. Doctor selection goes: portfolio \u2192 interview with me and founder Dr Liliya Kuzmenkova<\/strong> (PhD-level, 15+ years\u2019 practice) \u2192 a supervised test case on a patient. No compromises on sterilisation or single-use supplies.
\u201cFree\u201d consultations rarely exist in truth: a clinic bears costs the moment someone walks through the door \u2014 utilities, licences, front desk, depreciation, software, doctor time. If somewhere everything is \u201cfree\u201d and very cheap, the saving is hidden \u2014 usually not<\/strong> in the patient\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> Do marketing and collaborations work?
Boris:<\/strong> Touchpoints work. It used to be three to five; now you need 10\u201315<\/strong>: Maps\/site, Instagram Reels, Telegram, schools\/nurseries, events, art, sport. We\u2019ve almost stopped paid integrations: either a token amount, or barter\/pro bono<\/strong> (no fee) \u2014 provided there\u2019s genuine mutual value.
We run medical quizzes<\/strong>: 25\u201330 guests, teams, partner prizes, proper interaction \u2014 plus school tours (hygiene, how a filling is placed, why sterilisation matters). The nearest open date is 26 November<\/strong>.\"\"<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> What\u2019s the hardest part of leadership for you?
Boris:<\/strong> People. Commerce and medicine both demand flexibility. Many specialists arrive in a new country and start from scratch \u2014 normal, but it needs support, clear expectations and discipline. A leader often becomes both \u201ccommander\u201d and \u201cpsychologist\u201d.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> Growth plans?
Boris:<\/strong> Scaling within the UAE (Abu Dhabi is the priority). In a year I want an independent source to write: \u201cRegale Clinic<\/strong> has helped 10,000+ patients.\u201d That\u2019s the right metric \u2014 it\u2019s about impact, not likes.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> On \u201cRussian\/not Russian\u201d and international patients.
Boris:<\/strong> We deliberately don\u2019t brand ourselves as a \u201cRussian clinic\u201d. International \u2014 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\u2019s easier to work with locals, but you still need bridges to every diaspora.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/strong> What would you say to future patients?<\/p>\n

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Boris:<\/strong> Don\u2019t choose by price list or \u201cfree consults\u201d. Choose by standards, by the team, by reputation.<\/p>\n

At Regale Clinic<\/span><\/a>\u00a0we don\u2019t sell \u2014 we treat properly, first time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interview & editing:<\/strong> Ksenia Misiura, Gate DXB<\/em><\/p>\n

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We bring together people from niches who\u2019ve already done the miles. Today: Boris Shleyfer, Partner and Head of Development at Regale Clinic \u2014 on holding the line on quality, serving a multinational audience, and not torching your budget on \u201cpaid collaborations\u201d. Regale Clinic: every beginning has its story Not every clinic starts at a desk….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dubai-faces"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4046"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4049,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046\/revisions\/4049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatedxb.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}