UAE jobseeker Hamzeh Abu Qamar mailed a cake to Sarwa.
The sweet twist on cold outreach
Cold caking – sending a cake instead of a cold email – has been bubbling up in California’s tech circles and now appears in the UAE. The trend mirrors the classic cold‑email approach, but replaces a digital message with a baked one that carries a résumé printed in frosting. Hamzeh Abu Qamar, a Jordanian‑American who runs a social‑investing start‑up app, tried the idea after applying for a role at Sarwa two months ago without hearing back. “I wanted to see what is happening in San Francisco and untraditional to the region, and try to mimic it here,” he told The National.
“I wanted to see what is happening in San Francisco and untraditional to the region, and try to mimic it here,”
— Hamzeh Abu Qamar, jobseeker
The cake arrived hand‑delivered, decorated with finance memes and a QR code that linked to his portfolio. Though most of the Sarwa team was working remotely that day, the dessert quickly sparked chatter on Instagram. The chief executive, Mark Chahwan, responded on LinkedIn, writing, “Wow, that's so good! Thank you, Hamzeh, for the gesture… I will DM you.”
“Wow, that's so good! Thank you, Hamzeh, for the gesture… I will DM you,”
— Mark Chahwan, CEO of Sarwa
Sarwa’s response and next steps
Sarwa, which last month became the first UAE‑founded fintech platform to reach $1 billion in client assets, says the cake was a memorable stunt but did not alter its structured hiring process. Amen Ghebre, Sarwa’s vice president of advisory and investments, explained that the team’s first reaction was curiosity about the unexpected treat, followed by a quick check on its flavour. He added that every candidate is still assessed against the same criteria, ensuring fairness across the board.
Hamzeh Abu Qamar remains optimistic, noting that a meeting is now in the works and that a successful interview could lead to both a job and an early partnership. While the cake did not guarantee a job, it opened a door that many applicants never get to knock on, turning a simple bakery experiment into a real networking opportunity.
Frequently asked questions
What is cold caking and how does it work?
Cold caking is a job search tactic where a candidate sends a cake with their resume printed in frosting to a potential employer, like Hamzeh Abu Qamar did with Sarwa.
Did Hamzeh Abu Qamar get a job at Sarwa after sending the cake?
While the cake did not guarantee a job, it opened a door for Hamzeh Abu Qamar and a meeting is now in the works, which could lead to both a job and an early partnership.
How did Sarwa's CEO, Mark Chahwan, respond to the cake?
Mark Chahwan responded on LinkedIn, saying 'Wow, that's so good! Thank you, Hamzeh, for the gesture… I will DM you.'
