Innovative discount platform, Nafaa, connects verified students with curated benefits

Canadian University Dubai (CUD) Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications student, Faissal Bochi, has developed an innovative digital platform to connect UAE students with curated discounts from participating brands. Conceived and executed alongside Faissal’s undergraduate studies, Nafaa exemplifies the intersection of academic study and practical application emerging from the university’s campus incubator.

Nafaa, the name derived from the Arabic word for “benefit” or “value,” reflects its purpose to create meaningful advantages for students while enabling brands to engage with a distinct academic community

New multidisciplinary academic pathway to broaden students’ skills and experience

February 05,2026 : Dubai, UAE: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has announced the launch of Minors in Business Administration to allow students to build their academic and professional foundations beyond their subject major. The initiative embeds multidisciplinary learning into the academic experience for both Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and non-BBA undergraduate students. The minors are designed to deliver essential business and management skills, enabling students to complement their primary field of study with a structured program that broadens their academic exposure and enhances their employability.

Reinforcing the university’s Canadian-inspired curriculum, the Minors in Business Administration will offer students the opportunity to explore additional areas of interest while aligning academic knowledge with real-world demands. BBA students in the School of Management can pursue a minor in one of the eight majors currently offered within the School, in addition to their primary specialization.  By combining two core business disciplines, students will graduate with an academic transcript reflecting both their major and minor fields of study.

Advertising alums show how human creativity remains key to audience engagement

Two graduates of Canadian University Dubai (CUD) are proving that human creativity remains a driving force in modern marketing, blending advanced technology with their talent for communication to rewrite the rules of audience engagement. Both alumni of the university’s BA Communications in Advertising program, Hala Nsour and Mahdi Shafiei, have emerged as pioneers in fields that barely existed when they graduated and are now transforming their respective domains: artificial intelligence and TikTok marketing.

Mahdi  Shafiei, a graduate of CUD’s Communications in Advertising program, is the founder and CEO of Trifid Media, an agency built around TikTok that has helped clients generate more than $100 million in sales

Hala’s journey began in the glamorous world of luxury fashion, working with names like Givenchy, before developing content strategies for projects associated with Dubai royalty. Always looking to be part of the next big thing, Hala joined nybl. This AI startup deploys science-based artificial intelligence solutions across sectors that underpin society, such as energy, healthcare and agriculture. Taking on the role of Marketing Manager at the age of 24, Hala was centre stage at a time when the technology was met with scepticism and uncertainty.

Hala Nsour, a graduate of CUD’s Communications in Advertising program, is now Chief Marketing Officer at nybl, an AI startup that deploys science-based artificial intelligence solutions across sectors