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THE QUIET POWER OF TEA
Exclusive interview with Mr. Nirmal Sethia, Chairman, NEWBY TEAS
As the Chairman of Newby Teas, what personal experience or early memory first sparked your determination to safeguard the world’s finest teas?
I was born a contrarian. I never believed in what the world defined as wealth, nor did I follow what others spoke or accepted. I wanted to do things no one had done before. To search not for the root, but the seed from which the root emerges. Searching for the pedigree of the character.
I left home early as a young boy, and someone offered me the job of a tea boy at a tea broker’s house in London, where auctions were held in those days. Little did I know then that I would fall in love with the scope of learning. I never forgot my respected late father’s words:
- Never lie.
- Never steal.
- Never pretend to know what you don’t know, otherwise you will never learn.
That is where my first love for tea truly began. Tea was discovered in 2737 BC by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. He, was an herbalist who created tea because of its antioxidant properties and its ability to support longevity. The brew fought bacteria and strengthened the lifeline. It became a magic of time, people drank it, and their longevity increased.
Tea is what you serve at home to connect-moments. How does Newby Teas reimagine that domestic ritual, so it feels elevated for today’s homes?
In earlier times, aristocrats and highly educated people drank fine teas. Over thousands of years, tea became the second most popular drink in the world after water, which created a great opportunity for thugs and fraudulent merchants. As demand increased, so did the market for cheap teas, driven by immoral traders and tea growers supplying poor-quality leaves.
Tea is very much like human life. The finest tea today sells for multi-millions of dollars per kilo, and the cheapest sells for two dollars. The best carries the character of a king, the worst, the character of a crook. Many families unknowingly buy cheap teas, saving pennies while risking their health — later spending millions in hospitals and inviting misery, especially for the elderly, children, and women.
Newby’s charitable institution restores honour to the home tea ritual by ensuring every cup is pure, safe, and worthy of the family that drinks it. We buy fine teas, store them securely, and protect them from contamination, humidity, and pollution. Every tea undergoes rigorous testing by Eurofins, one of the world’s most respected agro-labs. Each tea carries a QR code linking to its certificate. No other tea company in the world offers such transparency.
Mr. Sethia, you’ve said you returned to tea because it was your “first love”. How did that personal reconnection shape the brand journey with Newby Teas?
When my wife was alive, she was my first love, and tea was my second. Both taught me spirituality, the truth of life, and history. Today, history is a concoction of falsifications, especially where time has left no real trace.
This realisation led me to establish the Chitra Collection, named in tribute to my late wife. In 2011, I began collecting the finest surviving teaware and artefacts, pieces that would otherwise have been lost to time.
The collection spans from the 2nd century BC to the 20th century, tracing how civilisations lived, drank, and expressed refinement through tea. For the 21st century, we have gone a step further, designing new teapots that reintroduce affluency and aristocracy through a contemporary lens. It is our commitment to craftsmanship, artistry and cultural heritage.
With over two thousand pieces, the Chitra Collection is today the world’s largest private collection dedicated to the historic culture of tea. It is not nostalgia. It is a responsibility to protect truth, craftsmanship, and heritage, so they may continue to teach future generations, just as tea once taught me.
As someone who has witnessed the erosion of tea culture over decades, what specific traditions or rituals where you determined to revive through your brand’s philosophy?
Tea cultura has not only been eroded — it has been stripped of its integrity. It has been turned into a slow poison for innocent and ignorant families, because nobody taught them the truth. As a contrarian, I realised that tea is the mother of human learning through nature. That understanding is what I was determined to revive.
I saw Newby Teas has adopted full carbon-neutral operations and is part of the Ethical Tea Partnership. How does this sustainability promise reflect in your newest collection and home-living angle?
The world is loudly promoting sustainability, but many use it as a bluff to sell contaminated cheap teas with high fluoride levels and harmful chemicals from pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. They hide behind sustainable packaging while offering unsafe products through retail, F&B, and hotels. Newby does not operate this way. Every tea we produce is tested, and transparent. No tea company in the world matches what Newby does or achieves in purity and safety.
Every big dream has its believers. Who were the friends or close confidants who stood by you in the early days as you turned your wife’s dream into a global brand?
I am probably the greatest believer in God’s grace and human dignity. The world is full of cheap bluffers, and as a contrarian, I have always chosen to stand aloof. My greatest friend and closest confidant is God, Allah.
Indulge in a romantic four-course dinner paired with a bottle of Prosecco
Celebrate love this Valentine’s Day with an intimate dining experience at The Grill, Marriott Al Forsan. Couples are invited to indulge in a sizzling four-course dinner, thoughtfully crafted for the occasion and perfectly paired with a bottle of Prosecco.
Set against a warm and elegant ambiance, it’s the ideal setting for a memorable night together.
Date: Saturday, 14th February
Time: 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Venue: The Grill, Marriott Al Forsan, Abu Dhabi
Project Chaiwala (PCW), Dubai’s homegrown chai brand founded in 2017 by Justin Joseph and Ahmed Kazim, has partnered with Swedish oat-based dairy alternative brand Oatly to launch The Karak Club, exclusively at Dubai International Airport (DXB). For a limited time, the world’s busiest international airport will welcome travellers from every corner of the globe to experience the UAE’s beloved karak chai with a plant-based twist.
With the support of travel and retail partner Lagardère Travel Retail, The Karak Club will be live across DXB Terminal 3 and select Terminal 1 outlets from December 15, 2025, to February 15, 2026. The concept reimagines Dubai’s unofficial national drink using Oatly’s non-dairy alternatives in innovative formats such as iced chai, smoothies, shakes, and soft serve. Travellers can also purchase limited-edition merchandise, including postcards, custom playing cards, luggage tags, stickers, and tote bags, celebrating the collaboration.
“This is Project Chaiwala showcasing Dubai’s unique flavour to the world through Oatly’s plant-based magic, turning karak from a fresh milk tradition into a global lifestyle experience,” said Ahmed Kazim, Co-founder of Project Chaiwala.
“Born from our first Karak Club community event at Project Chaiwala’s Cinema Akil flagship in Alserkal Avenue, this DXB edition targets young, global urban travellers seeking authentic flavours of Dubai’s third-culture identity in a modern, accessible way. As a homegrown brand with global aspirations, we’re proud to champion Dubai’s multicultural spirit at DXB, following our representations at SXSW 2025 with Museum of the Future, EXPO 2020, and COP28,” added Justin Joseph, Co-founder of Project Chaiwala.
“We’re honoured to bring the Karak Club to DXB, one of the world’s cultural melting pots, through our collaboration with Project Chaiwala and Lagardère Travel Retail UAE. Together, we’re celebrating the heritage of karak chai, reimagined with Oatly as a delicious alternative to the traditional dairy-based drink. In a moment of taste bonanza and rising non-coffee based beverages, Project Chaiwala’s creativity and Lagardère’s commitment to delivering lifestyle experiences at DXB enable us to bridge cultures through flavour for travellers and the wider airport community”, says Dimitri de Martignac, Regional Director Oatly MEA.
Founded after countless chai breaks between Justin Joseph and Ahmed Kazim during their time as colleagues in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Project Chaiwala was inspired by the founders’ brainstorming sessions and travels to Darjeeling and West Bengal’s tea estates, inspired by their love for getting the perfect cup of chai. Their first pop-up at Etisalat Beach Canteen led to the opening of the flagship Cinema Akil café in Alserkal Avenue in 2018, a cultural hub that captures the brand’s ethos of “Blending Tradition, Brewing Innovation.” The café’s offerings include the signature Clove-Chocolate Karak, vada pav, cheese toast, spicy chana, and Karak Groove Sessions with local DJs.
Evolving from a lifestyle café into an omnichannel brand, Project Chaiwala successfully pivoted during the 2020 pandemic, expanding into packaged retail with handcrafted tea blends now available at Spinneys, ENOC, Careem, Noon, and Amazon. The brand currently employs over 20 team members across café, retail, and B2B operations — including corporate outlets at ENBD and Standard Chartered, and more than 100 HORECA accounts. Through proceeds from its clay kulhar cups, Project Chaiwala supports ethical initiatives promoting education, clean water access, and women’s empowerment.
Activation Locations at DXB:
● Project Chaiwala, Concourse C, S34, Terminal 3
● Project Chaiwala, Daily DXB, Concourse B, Terminal 3
● Project Chaiwala, Concourse A, Terminal 3
● FIX Coffee, Daily DXB, Terminal 1
Dubai’s Hag Al Leila celebrations concluded this week with strong engagement across a wide-ranging programme of community, cultural, and destination-based activations, marking the opening moment of the Season of Wulfa and setting the tone for the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Observed across the city, Hag Al Leila in Dubai brought residents and visitors together through shared moments rooted in generosity, participation, and the exchange of sweets. From heritage-led experiences and neighbourhood gatherings to activations in major destinations, the programme reflected how the tradition continues to be lived and shared across generations.
Across the programme, activations recorded strong footfall and sustained participation, with high levels of engagement from families, children, and wider communities. Public response reinforced Hag Al Leila’s role as a shared cultural moment, experienced through familiar rituals that encourage connection, participation, and a gentle transition into the reflective rhythm of Ramadan.
Key activations across Dubai helped translate the tradition into diverse contemporary settings while remaining grounded in cultural authenticity. Dubai Hills Mall hosted one of the season’s most visible celebrations, adapting the traditional door-to-door custom into a guided, child-led experience within a major retail destination. Cultural institutions led by Dubai Culture delivered neighbourhood-rooted programming, including heritage trails, workshops, and creative activities designed to introduce younger audiences to the meaning and rituals of the occasion.
Dubai Municipality activated public spaces and community venues across the city, embedding Hag Al Leila within everyday neighbourhood life and ensuring broad public access to the celebration. At the Museum of the Future, the tradition was reimagined through an interactive cultural programme combining storytelling and hands-on activities, while the Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s student design initiative, delivered in collaboration with Patchi, engaged young people directly in cultural storytelling through contemporary creative expression. More than 45 activations unfolded across retail destinations, cultural venues, and community hubs, delivered in collaboration with a range of public and private partners as part of the wider Season of Wulfa programme.
Muna Faisal Al Gurg, CEO of the Museums and Heritage Sector at Dubai Culture, affirmed the Authority’s commitment to raising awareness of Hag Al Leila’s cultural significance, saying: “Hag Al Leila represents an authentic Emirati tradition that reflects the essence of our heritage and embodies generosity, kindness, and tolerance. It is also a powerful expression of our pride in our national identity. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen community engagement, introduce the youth to our customs, and deepen their sense of belonging.”
Al Gurg added: “Each year, we celebrate this occasion through programmes hosted across our cultural sites to highlight the meaning, symbolism, and beauty of Hag Al Leila. We seek to preserve the custom in the Emirati collective memory, underscore its value, and showcase how it fosters harmony within the community. These efforts also help future generations connect with their roots and cultivate national pride.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “Hag Al Leila continues to resonate because it is experienced in familiar, shared spaces across the city. This year’s programme demonstrated how simple, community-centred moments can create meaningful connections, particularly for younger generations. The strong engagement we saw across activations reflects the city’s appreciation for traditions that bring people together and naturally set the tone for the Holy Month of Ramadan.”
With Hag Al Leila setting the tone across the city, the Season of Wulfa now moves into its next phase, as Dubai prepares to observe Ramadan through a programme of cultural, community, and citywide experiences shaped by reflection, connection, and shared responsibility.
PNY STRENGTHENS ITS TEAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SAUDI ARABIATO SUPPORT STRATEGIC GROWTH
A SIZZLING VALENTINE’S ROMANCE AT MARRIOTT AL FORSAN
PROJECT CHAIWALA AND OATLY INTRODUCE THE KARAK CLUB AT DXB AIRPORT
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