Dubai luxury real estate entrepreneur Santa-Maria Kourri marked her 34th birthday with a surprise Barbie-themed brunch planned by her closest friends in the city.
The celebration, held around her birthday on August 17, transformed a private brunch into a distinctly pink occasion. From floral decorations and balloons to coordinated outfits, the event embraced the instantly recognisable Barbie aesthetic while keeping the gathering personal.
Kourri shared photographs from the celebration on Instagram, giving followers a look at the details her friends had arranged without her knowledge. She described the occasion as the “best day ever” and thanked those who helped bring the surprise together.
For someone whose public profile is normally shaped by property investments, luxury homes and Dubai’s competitive real estate market, the celebration offered a more relaxed look at life away from business.
A Barbie Birthday Surprise Planned in Secret
The Santa-Maria Kourri Barbie brunch in Dubai was arranged by a close circle of friends who managed to keep the plan hidden from her before the celebration.
Rather than using the Barbie theme as a single decorative detail, the group carried it throughout the brunch. Pink appeared in the floral displays, balloons, outfits and picture areas, creating a coordinated setting for the birthday gathering.
One of the most prominent features was a wall covered in pink flowers. Hanging lights added a softer finish to the backdrop, while a large bouquet positioned near the entrance created another focal point for photographs.
Kourri arrived wearing a soft pink outfit that matched the theme. Her guests also dressed in shades of pink and rose gold, choosing dresses, skirts and coordinated sets that made the brunch feel cohesive without becoming overly formal.
The result was a celebration designed around friendship rather than a large public event. Much of its appeal came from the fact that those closest to Kourri had organised the details themselves and kept her unaware until the reveal.
Inside the Pink-Themed Celebration
The photographs shared from the brunch showed guests gathering in front of the flower wall and posing around the decorative displays. Pink roses were used throughout the setting, reinforcing the Barbie-inspired concept while giving the space an elegant birthday finish.
The event leaned into a polished Dubai brunch style, but its atmosphere remained personal. Instead of centring the occasion on an extensive programme or formal presentation, the focus appeared to be on spending time together, taking photographs and celebrating Kourri’s birthday with her closest circle.
In her Instagram caption, Kourri thanked the friends involved in the surprise and ended her message with an affectionate declaration of love for the group.
Among the friends tagged in connection with the celebration were Iryna Sushchenko, Polina Sybiga, Yulia Melnik, Ira Poladko, @sninuae, Élina Mirzoyan Naprikovskaya, Yulianna Anikeeva, Daria Glazunova and @selikovchik.
Their coordinated planning helped turn the birthday brunch into something that reflected both Kourri’s personality and the visual style associated with the Barbie theme.
Who Is Santa-Maria Kourri?
Santa-Maria Kourri is the founder and CEO of SANTÉ Properties, a Dubai-based boutique real estate company specialising in luxury properties and investment opportunities.
According to the company’s official website, she has more than a decade of experience in Dubai’s luxury property market and has completed over AED 500 million in sales. Her professional work has included waterfront properties, branded residences, villas and investment-grade developments across the UAE.
Before establishing SANTÉ Properties in 2025, Kourri spent more than ten years working at another leading Dubai real estate company. During that period, she developed her profile in high-end property investment and worked with international buyers seeking opportunities in Dubai.
Her company describes its approach as combining strategic investment advice with the personalised service associated with a private office. It works with clients searching for premium homes and those building larger real estate investment portfolios.
Kourri’s public presence also extends beyond property transactions. She creates real estate content and uses interviews and podcasts to discuss investing, market trends and Dubai’s development as an international destination for business and wealth.
From Luxury Property to Podcasting
Kourri is one of the hosts of Sand to Gold, a podcast dedicated to Dubai real estate and property investment. She presents the programme alongside real estate professional Nizar Bensaid.
Episodes explore subjects such as investment strategies, buyer behaviour, Dubai’s appeal to international investors and the factors shaping the emirate’s property market. The podcast has also featured guests sharing broader perspectives on business, leadership and wealth creation.
SANTÉ Properties additionally identifies Kourri as the host of SANTÉ Mogul Talks, further extending her work into real estate media and professional conversations.
This growing media presence has helped introduce her to an audience beyond traditional property clients. While her professional content is typically focused on transactions, projects and market analysis, her birthday photographs presented a noticeably different side of her public life.
A Personal Celebration Behind the Professional Profile
Dubai’s luxury real estate industry often places its leading figures in highly polished settings. Social feeds tend to feature new developments, property tours, investor meetings and major transactions.
Kourri’s birthday post stood apart because it shifted the attention away from business. The celebration was not about a new property launch or another professional milestone. It was about the friendships surrounding her life in Dubai.
The surprise also arrived during an important period in her career. SANTÉ Properties was founded only in 2025, making the brunch part of a year in which Kourri has continued developing a relatively new company while building on more than a decade of experience.
Turning 34 provided a natural moment to step away from that schedule and celebrate what her friends had created for her.
The coordinated outfits, pink roses and Barbie-inspired setting supplied the visual impact, but the surprise itself was the central part of the occasion. Kourri’s reaction and appreciative caption suggested that her friends had delivered exactly the kind of birthday they intended.
For followers familiar with her work in Dubai property, the Barbie brunch revealed more of the person behind SANTÉ Properties, the sales figures and the investment discussions.
It was a polished Dubai birthday celebration, but also a personal one: a surprise arranged in secret, shared with close friends and filled with enough pink to make its theme immediately clear.
