Women Of Influence 2025: Bayut's Sahar Khan

Driven by the belief that great marketing has its foundations in great storytelling, Sahar Khan, Vice President of Marketing at online real estate platform Bayut and e-commerce marketplace Dubizzle, can claim to have led several innovative and transformative initiatives across both of the homegrown UAE brands.

But Khan recalls a defining moment in her career to have been when, early in her professional journey, she was asked to build a marketing strategy for Bayut with almost no budget and only a small team. “What could have felt like a limitation turned out to be a turning point,” she remembers. “I leaned into creativity, focused on content and organic growth, and built a foundation that would go on to shape our long-term success. That experience taught me that clarity, consistency, and resourcefulness often matter more than the size of your budget. It also gave me the confidence to trust my instincts, and to take bold decisions when it mattered most.”

That early lesson has carried through Khan’s work ever since, with Bayut and Dubizzle now known for distinctive, relatable brand identities shaped by the campaigns that she has spearheaded. “One example that stands out is the 2019 Bayut campaign featuring Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth, which I conceptualized and led,” Khan says. “It became one of the most memorable marketing efforts in the region and significantly boosted Bayut’s visibility and public profile.”

Another proud moment was the launch of Bayut’s TruBroker campaign, which spotlighted the stories of top-performing agents on large-format billboards across Dubai and through videos on social media. “This campaign humanized our agent partners and bridged the traditional gap between B2B and B2C marketing,” Khan shares. “It created value for both audiences. For our partners, it meant recognition and a tangible increase in leads. For consumers, it built trust by highlighting credible, high-performing agents they could rely on.”

People-centric storytelling has thus clearly shaped her approach to marketing, and it’s a perspective she now extends to her leadership in the region’s marketing and technology landscape. And as a woman who has carved out a place for herself in the region’s marketing landscape, what ultimately matters, she emphasizes, is the strength of one’s work. “I believe we are now in a time where success is increasingly defined by talent, dedication, and outcomes, rather than by gender,” she says. “In the marketing and tech space, I have seen how a strong work ethic and clear vision can open doors, regardless of background.”

That said, she believes that visibility matters—a lesson that she learned when she stepped into her current role. And today, she feels a responsibility to deliver results as well as to support other young professionals, particularly women, in her industry. “In the end, I believe the best work will always rise to the top,” Khan says. “Gender may once have been seen as a barrier, but today, what matters most is the quality of your contribution. That is the message I try to reinforce through both my leadership and my actions.”

Lessons Learned: Q&A with Sahar Khan 

Looking back on your journey, if there is one piece of advice you’d give yourself before you embarked on your career, what would that be? Additionally, if you could go back in time and tell yourself something that you should avoid or simply not do, what would that be?  

If I could go back to the start of my career, I would tell my younger self to be bold and stay true to your vision. In a fast-moving industry like marketing, it can be tempting to follow the safe or expected route. But the turning points in my career came when I trusted my instincts and pursued ideas that felt true to me, even if they were unorthodox at the time. I would remind myself not to shy away from big ideas, even if they seem risky. Innovation rarely comes from doing what has already been done. I would also tell myself to be patient and persistent. Not every pitch will land, and not every campaign will deliver immediate results. The important thing is to learn from each experience and keep moving forward. 

Being fearless in your ambition matters, but so does staying grounded in your values and lifting up the people around you. If I had heard these words earlier in my journey, perhaps some moments would have been easier to navigate. That is why I am committed to sharing these insights now. I want the next generation of professionals, especially young women, to know that with creativity, resilience, and a strong support system, there is truly no limit to what they can achieve. 

Pictured in the lead image is Sahar Khan, Vice President of Bayut and Dubizzle. Image courtesy Bayut.

Sahar Khan was one of Inc. Arabia's Women of Influence 2025, a showcase of 30 women rewriting the rules of business in the MENA region. For the full list, please click here.