AUS Alumnus Salim Hamra: Taking a Leap to Launch a Business in Tax and Accounting

AUS Alumnus Salim Hamra: Taking a Leap to Launch a Business in Tax and Accounting

From working at some of the world’s largest professional services firms to founding his own practice
in the UAE, AUS alumnus Salim Hamra (SBA, Finance, 2015) is shaping the future of tax and
accounting with confidence, clarity, and courage. His journey reflects the resilience and
entrepreneurial spirit that AUS graduates are known for.

A Strong Foundation at AUS

Salim’s path began at the American University of Sharjah, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. “AUS is a special institution,” he says. “It’s
where I built lifelong relationships with friends and mentors, many of whom I’m still in touch with
today, including Dr. Yass Al Kafaji.”
Although Salim majored in finance, his academic journey at AUS helped him discover his true calling.
“My time at AUS made me realize my strengths lay in accounting,” he explains. “I was just one
course short of completing a double major.”
During his undergraduate years, Salim also worked as a precious metals trader at Swiss Gold DMCC, a boutique investment firm in Dubai. That experience, combined with the analytical and problem- solving mindset he developed at AUS, prepared him for a career that would soon take a different turn—into the complex world of international taxation.

From Global Firms to Entrepreneurship

After graduation, Salim joined EY (Ernst & Young) as an International Tax Associate. Despite entering the field at a time when the UAE had limited taxation in practice, he was determined to learn. “As a fresh graduate with no prior tax experience, I initially found it challenging to get comfortable with the field,” he recalls.
To gain deeper, hands-on experience, Salim made a bold move; he immigrated to Canada to join
Deloitte, where he honed his expertise in one of the world’s most advanced tax jurisdictions.
“Canadian tax is complex, but that complexity helped everything click,” he says. “My years of
training at EY and the foundation I built at AUS suddenly made sense.”
When the UAE introduced corporate tax, Salim saw an opportunity to make an impact. Drawing from his early career challenges and global experience, he founded Hamra Accounting & Tax (HAT)—a firm dedicated to helping businesses and individuals navigate the evolving tax landscape in the UAE and across the region.

Taking the Leap

Launching a new firm came with its share of challenges. “The biggest challenge was having the
courage to leave a stable career and commit fully to the dream of building a homegrown success
story,” Salim admits. “I’m blessed with a wonderful family of four, and making this leap was not
easy. It meant stepping away from the comfort of a steady paycheck and strong benefits. But for me, there were only two options: I either succeed, or I succeed.” Today, HAT provides comprehensive tax and accounting services to clients across industries—combining technical expertise with a personal touch that prioritizes trust, education, and long-term growth.