Billions of dollars were invested in the freehold property sector that resulted in an unprecedented boom in the construction industry.īy then, we had established ourselves firmly in the market and were able to support the industry with the required volume of building materials that helped our business to grow manifolds. The construction market witnessed the biggest boom since the beginning of the new millennium, especially after 2002, when Dubai Government had opened the real estate sector for foreign investment and ownership.
We then relocated to our base to the Jebel Ali Free Zone where we established our head office and the logistics base to support operations across the GCC region.
With increase in business volume, we also started getting orders from across the UAE borders – from Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Then we started importing materials, especially woods, plywoods and other products from key source markets. Due to growth in business, we hired people, added new shops, warehouses and started storing materials in large quantity. Initially, we used to buy materials from wholesalers and importers in the local market and sell to contractors with a margin. Since I was already in the market with a reputation of on-time and on-quality delivery of goods, I continued to receive orders and that help me grow business. This is how it started for me as an entrepreneur. Initially it was a two-person operation and my wife Sameera was the first employee – who looked after the office, take phone calls and messages while I used to chase contractors and consultants for procuring orders. This way, I accumulated some capital, which I invested in 1993 to establish Danube Building Materials – as a small shop. So, I started sourcing supplies from other bigger companies and supply to the buyers. But I also did not want to lose the orders. Here, I joined a building materials company as a sales person and quickly started to obtain orders, so much so that the company did not have the means to handle the orders. “ We work for our customers and their happiness is what we strive to achieve” Then about a year later, I decided to try my luck in the UAE – a land of opportunity. We had to leave the business and Kuwait forever in 1991, and relocated back to Mumbai. However, the Iraq-Kuwait war in 1990-1991 changed everything. The business continued to grow and I played a crucial role in the company’s growth. Soon after, I started to run the business on a daily basis with the guidance of the owner – my relative – who trusted me a lot and gave me the freedom, after I had shown results. But I am a quick learner and learned the tricks of the trade very fast, so much so, that the management started to trust me with additional responsibilities.
I was hired to help the management in their day-to-day sales activities.
I was in my late teens, just came out of my college studies in Mumbai. I started my career at a building materials trading organisation in Kuwait in the 1980s.
Describe your professional journey as a business leader. Rizwan shares about his professional journey, inspiration, various challenges, and achievements throughout his stellar career.īelow are the highlights of the interview between Mr. In an Interview with Insights Success, Mr. Rizwan is a business leader who raised his business empire from a two-member husband-wife team way back in 1993 to a multi-billion-dollar sustainable diversified business conglomerate with 9 businesses spread across 50 locations in 10 countries employing more than 3,600 people. Rizwan Sajan, the Founder and Chairman of Danube Group.Ī visionary in its true sense, Mr. One such prominent Indian business leader in the Gulf, who is transforming the way how business activities are carried out while achieving the desired outcomes, is none other than Mr. There are many successful Indian business leaders in the Gulf, who have transformed their dreams into reality through their dedicated endeavors, while also providing their employees with the opportunity to grow and learn effectively. It requires tremendous determination and excellent business acumen to overcome all odds and realize the intended objectives. Achieving remarkable success in business and making a mark of oneself in the commercial arena is not a piece of cake.