“Sweden for me, is more than home”: Netflix star Jwana Karim on growing up in Stockholm and starring in ‘Dubai Bling’

“Where I am today is because of Sweden,” says Jwana Karim, 42, a multihyphenate talent, entrepreneur and star of the latest season of Netflix’s blockbuster reality show, Dubai Bling. Born in Iraq, Karim’s family became political refugees during her early childhood. Fleeing the country by foot, they traversed through a host of countries, from Jordan and Syria to Lebanon, before finally arriving in Sweden, hoping to start a new life in Scandinavia.

“The union told us we had a few choices of countries where we could move – there was the United Kingdom, there was America, and there was Sweden,” she recalls. “My father had read about Sweden, and he said, ‘Sweden is the best country to live in; we should go there.’” For a month, the family stayed in temporary accommodation in Norsborg, on the outskirts of Stockholm, before securing a home closer to the city centre. Karim was nine years old at the time – an age sensitive to significant changes like this. Starting over in a new country can be challenging, especially when coming from a volatile environment, but the move was a wholly positive experience for her.

“The way the government took care of us, took us in and helped us with everything – they treated us like human beings,” Karim says. “Sweden really was the best place for me and my family – without them, I wouldn’t be here today. We felt safe there.” Karim and her siblings enrolled in school while their father found work in the automotive industry. Although she acknowledges some initial difficulties in adapting to an entirely new culture, Karim describes growing up in Stockholm as “beautiful”, grateful to come of age in such friendly and secure surroundings. At 15, Karim began working odd jobs, from working at a pizzeria to modelling gigs, driven by her growing curiosity to expand her horizons.

Related: Your complete guide to Stockholm, according to our editors