Sam Minhas on Loneliness as a Dubai Expat, Social Anxiety and Founding She Knows Best
"Loneliness became my normal. That is all I knew for years upon years upon years."
"Eating in the toilets is not normal, Sam. Feeling lonely the way that you do is not normal."
"I don't know where they are. I don't know who they are. But I guarantee you, there are women out there like me. And I'm going to find them."
"You are not alone. There is somebody out there that can resonate with how you're feeling."
Dubai-based expat, educator, and founder of She Knows Best Sam Minhas shares her journey of overcoming loneliness and social anxiety after moving abroad, and how healing her inner child led her to create an anonymous platform that empowers and equips women with support.
What you'll learn
- How loneliness and social anxiety can develop when moving abroad
- The role of anonymity in reducing barriers to seeking support
- How community building can be an act of personal healing
- What the financial shock of expat life can reveal about your priorities
Key moments from the conversation
The shock of moving abroad: loneliness and social anxiety
Sam moved from the UK to Dubai roughly ten years ago, ready to spread her wings and excited to explore. But the loneliness set in quickly. Colleagues formed friendships fast while Sam found herself pacing her living room, talking herself out of leaving the house, and experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety, shortness of breath, headaches, vomiting, before social events. She realised she was in a vicious cycle: she wanted connection but her social anxiety was preventing her from pursuing it. Her lowest point: leaving work on a Friday and returning on Monday without having spoken to a single human being over the entire weekend.
Eating sandwiches in the toilet: a childhood pattern finally named
Two years ago, Sam mentioned casually to her now-fiancé that she hadn't eaten much at school, and that when she did eat, she ate her sandwiches in the toilet because she had no one to eat with. His reaction, 'That's really sad, Sam. That's what you see in movies. But it was your normal', became the wake-up call she needed. It was the moment she stopped accepting loneliness as inevitable and decided to take action: for herself, and for every other woman living that same reality.
Creating She Knows Best: an anonymous platform for women
She Knows Best is an anonymous platform Sam founded to empower and equip women with support, emotional, legal, and practical. Its anonymity is a deliberate design choice to lower the barrier for women who would not otherwise seek help. The inspiration came from a social media post she saw from a fellow expat crying out about loneliness, a post Sam wanted to reply to but could not, because it was public and she was not ready to expose her own struggles to employers, family, and friends. Within five months of launching, over 70 women were using the platform regularly.
Legal support through mohame.ae: closing the loop
She Knows Best partnered with mohame.ae (mohame means 'lawyer' in Arabic) to offer women free access to legal experts across the Middle East. Women on the platform were not only looking for emotional support, they were facing domestic violence, divorce, immigration questions, and financial instability. The partnership connects them with lawyers who understand local laws that change regularly, giving women both the emotional and the practical support to plan their next steps.
Healing the inner child through community
Sam reflects on how building She Knows Best became an act of healing, creating for others the support she had needed herself when navigating loneliness and social anxiety as an expat. She describes the 10-years-ago version of herself, young Sam who had just landed in Dubai and had no one, and how that version of herself would have absolutely wished for a platform like She Knows Best. Through creating it, she is also healing her.
Frequently asked questions
What is She Knows Best?
She Knows Best is an anonymous platform founded by Sam Minhas that empowers and equips women with support, including legal support through a partnership with mohame.ae. It was designed to lower the barrier for women who wouldn't otherwise seek help, because they feared being judged by employers, family, or friends.
How did Sam Minhas overcome loneliness as an expat in Dubai?
Sam navigated years of loneliness and social anxiety through self-reflection, therapy, and coaching before a pivotal conversation with her fiancé named her childhood loneliness for what it really was. That wake-up call prompted her to stop accepting loneliness as her normal and to build She Knows Best, a community for women going through the same thing.
Why is anonymity such an important feature of She Knows Best?
Sam's own experience was the inspiration: when she saw a fellow expat's public post about loneliness, she wanted to reply but could not because the post was visible to her employers, family, and friends. If it had been anonymous, she would have spoken more freely. She built that anonymity into She Knows Best from the start so women can share, receive and give advice without fear of judgment.
What does Sam Minhas say will enable more people to have better mental health?
Sam's answer: knowing that you are not alone. Whether it is with loved ones or with strangers, being able to share your story and ask for advice without feeling judgment or bias is crucial for mental well-being.
Who is Sam Minhas?
Sam Minhas
Educator and Founder · She Knows Best
Samina is the founder of She Knows Best (SKB), an anonymous advice platform created by women, for women. What began as a personal response to loneliness and emotional overwhelm grew into a safe digital space where women can share honestly, seek support and feel less alone. Through SKB, Sam brings together real stories, expert insight and community care, with a focus on emotional, legal and professional wellbeing. She is passionate about normalising honest conversations around mental health, identity and womanhood, and believes healing often begins when we realise we are not the only ones feeling this way.
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