In 1990, Anil Gehani founded Zabadani Real Estate, which over the last 27 years has grown into one of the most successful and trusted names in real estate. Zabadani Real Estate, has gained unmatchable experience over the years and the award winning firm is recognized by Forbes Middle East as being one of the Top Ten Real Estate Advisory Agencies in the region for two consecutive years.
A visionary leader with a keen eye for creating a legacy for sustainable diversified business is presently the Vice Chairman of conglomerate Danube Group. Holding a great story behind the frame, he is known for his spontaneity and business acumen. Starting his career by working as a Sales Executive for one of the biggest corporates Eureka Forbes in Mumbai, India to supporting his brother Mr. Rizwan Sajan along with the new firm back then in UAE and together growing it to now one of the biggest Suppliers of Building Materials and Home Improvement Solutions in the entire MENA region, the journey was not always easy or upwards. His farsightedness and unwavering commitment to only “the Best” is proof that every one of us can triumph over adversity and live our dreams.
Apart from growing the biggest group in the MENA region from strength to strength serving as a prominent leader, he is also a husband, a brother, a father, a cricket aficionado, and much more!
Ashok Puri is a Kenyan national of Indian origin. He was born on June 30th, 1955 in New Delhi. He earned his degree from the University of Delhi in Business and International Affairs, then did his ACCA from London. Today, he is a Fellow of the British Institute of Management and also the Chairman of MGT group.
Dr. Dhananjay Datar – Chairman & Managing Director, Al Adil Trading LLC, UAE, is popularly known as the ‘Masala King’ in Gulf countries. Dr. Datar is a prime example example of an entrepreneur who identified a gap in the market, and with the right implementation went on to create a successful business to great acclaim. Datar also happens to be a Doctor in Business Administration.
The success story of Dhananjay Datar is highly inspirational to every business passionate mind. He was born in a middle-class Maharashtrian family from Vidarbha. His childhood was passed in poverty which taught him self-reliance, frugality ,and hard work. He took his primary education from a Jilha Parishad School and later shifted to Mumbai for middle school. Although without any entrepreneurial or sound financial background, he dreamt of owning a business at younger age. He sold phenyl and instant mixes door-to-door in Mumbai’s suburbs and learned the art of selling.
Mr. Dhiraj Saluja, aged 48 years, is the Joint Managing Director of the RS Saluja Group of Companies. He holds a degree in Engineering from Moscow University, Russia. He has over 25 years of experience in the textile industry, and is responsible for the overall management of the company.
George Mohanani, Chairman of the Cordinal Group of Companies, left India in 1978 to travel to Hong Kong to work with an international trading company. Soon after, he started the Cordinal Group, an international indenting business in the coastal city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1982. Today the Cordinal Group has diversified in several segments including garments and textiles, food & beverage, real estate and financial investments.
A global leader in the pulses and spice industry from the UAE and home of the leading flagship brand 777, Harish Kumarlal Tahliani’s journey to greatness is nothing short of an inspiration.
Established in 1986, Arab India Spices LLC is a pioneer of the ever-increasing global agriculture trade. Shortly after its inception two decades ago, Arab & India Spices became one of the first millers that catered to the entire Middle East with a wide variety of high-quality pulses and ground spices. Starting out with a daily production output of 5 metric tonnes per day, the company bolstered its wings and today, the processing plant in Ajman has a production output of 700 metric tonnes per day. However, things weren’t always easy for the businessman. Here is the story of his humble beginnings.
Mr. I.P. Khaitan hails from an industrial family in India, and has a rich experience of 50 years in the field of business. The Chairman of Khaitan Holdings lives in Dubai, UAE, which is also the headquarters of the group since the early 1990’s. Under the leadership of Mr. Khaitan, the group has expanded its operations and presence to various countries globally.
K.S. Parag is the Managing Director at FVC Inc. He is the founding member of FVC in the Middle East with the managing partner for the firm. He has well over 27 years of industry experience in the Communications and IT sector. He played a vital role in transforming the region’s communications landscape through ADNOC’s adoption of the very first video conferencing solution in the Middle East in 1992, and is working with other enterprise companies in the Middle East toward early adoption of the leading edge technology solution as the first TDMA implementation in the region.
Lalu Samuel is one of the leading Industrialists based in UAE. He has lived in the UAE for the last 36 years. He holds a degree in Science with ICWAI, and an MBA in general management.
He is the Chairman and Managing Director for the following companies- Kingston Holdings, Rexton Technologies Middle East, Pierlite Middle East, an Australian Multinational, GP Middle East an Asian Multinational Public listed in Hong Kong and Singapore, and Glen Dimplex Middle East an Irish Multinational for the Middle East, Africa and Subcontinent Region.
Manohar grew up in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and having joined the business at an early age, he learned his way from the ground up. Many decades later, after having gone through multiple civil wars that rocked the tiny country many times over, he has since made Dubai a home now for over 20 years, with the business based and established here as one of the most reliable and leading trade partners for Africa.
The Dadabhai Group was established in the Kingdom of Bahrain in the early 1950’s. Starting off as a modest trading house in the earlier days, the group is now engaged in multiple businesses comprising construction, real estate, hospitality (hotels, resorts and spa) travel & tourism and education.
Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, who hails from the aristocratic family of Nawabs of Kurnool, came to the UAE in 1982, and is today the Founder and Chairman of Mulk Holdings, a global business powerhouse with diversified interests in manufacturing of Building Facades, Facade contracting, Healthcare, Plastics and Cricket assets.
Nazimuddin Mohammed (Nazim) is the founder of PetroGas Piping, a group that has a reputation of delivering world-class products and efficient customer service to the Hydrocarbon and Power industries.
An Entrepreneur with proven leadership, integrity and passion, Neelesh has the innate vision, drive and determination to strengthen and implement positive change within complex organisations. Born in India and having spent over 30 years in the Middle East he blends international management practices with local customs with exceptional success and has seamlessly integrated into the local culture at senior levels.
Paras Shahdadpuri is the founder of the Nikai Group, which has been awarded the status of being a ‘Superbrand’ in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Under his leadership, the company offers an enviable lineup of over 400 home appliances and electronics that compete with major Korean and Japanese brands today. Till date, Nikai has exported to 60 countries and has over 60 million satisfied customers.
The entrepreneurial journey is an immense learning curve, with lessons about building relationships, leadership, financial prudence and more.
Prem Punjabi advises the new generation of entrepreneurs to make the most of it, and use their knowledge, skills and independence to enhance the business they have inherited. However, he also cautions them about people who may not always have their best interests in mind.
Mr. Riaz Daud is energetic, always reaching out, gregarious, always there for friends, and iconic! An ambitious man of his convictions and never one to shy away from his instincts, Riaz Daud came to Dubai in 1976, after deciding in just his 2nd year of university that formal education was not cut out to hone his natural talent for moving with and understanding people.
This man from Mumbai now heads a global empire and has played a significant role in creating this world of possibilities. His name is Rizwan Sajan, and he is the Founder and Chairman of Danube Group. Rizwan heads what is one of the largest building materials companies in the region. His team of over 3,600 people is not only based in UAE but also spread across Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and India, in addition to procurement offices in China.
Rohit Verma is the Vice President of Aarvees Group. A company with over two decades of presence, Aarvees Group has emerged as a leader in the global business arena. It has grown exponentially ever since, with focus on quality, customer satisfaction, dedication and innovation. The Group has successfully diversified into varied business activities such as Entertainment, Hospitality, Real Estate Investments and Development.
Confident Group with over 140 Real Estate projects and over USD 2 Billion Dollar Asset Company in India & UAE operating in the space of Real Estate, Building materials, Hospitality, Aviation and Entertainment. Confident Group projects are spread over 1000 acres in Bangalore & Kerala.
Dr. Sanjay Parashar, a surgeon with healing hands, is a renowned plastic surgeon, who is best in class, ambidextrous and extremely ambitious.
He has been shortlisted in the Top Indian Aces and 100 Smartest People in the UAE and is among the top 100 most influential people in the UAE and 50 Most Powerful Indians in the UAE by Arabian Business.
Chairman- Mulk Health Care Enterprise, Global Hawk Imaging & Diagnostic chain of international acclaimed imaging centers, Mulk E-Health (Mulk E- Hospital). He hails from the aristocratic family of Kurnool A.P & is listed by Forbes amongst the 100 most influential Indian leaders.
Shailendra Rughwani’s name is synonymous with the Computer Industry in Dubai and he enjoys considerable esteem in the industry. Starting his career in Japan in an IT Company, Shailendra moved to Dubai in 1994 and set up Experts Computer LLC. Another group company, Nirsun Technology LLC, was set up in 2001 to cater to ELV & HVAC Solutions. Epro Middle East with its own warehouse and office in the Jebel Ali Free Zone was set up in 2003. Experts Group has diversified into healthcare with medical centers and pharmacies in Dubai, interior design and contracting, property & mall development in Dubai and India, and oil and gas trading.
Accomplished, performance driven professional and a proven leader credited with pioneering innovations in Film, Media Maritime and Medical industries.
Taher Ali is a prosperous entrepreneur and philanthropist well known in the Manufacturing & Distribution Energy in UAE, India and China, for over a decade. A first class graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Nagpur University, Taher Ali began his career from one of India’s leading Multinationals– Voltas Ltd as a graduate recruit. With barely any investment fund, but faith in his knowledge and skills, he followed his passion to take the entrepreneurial route and launched his own electrical panel-building workshop in Mumbai.
Mr. Taher Shams, an ardent management professional, is responsible for the daily operations and overall management of Zulekha Healthcare Group including Zulekha hospitals, medical centers, distribution stores & pharmacies in the UAE, Alexis Multispeciality Hospital and Zulekha College in India. Mr.Shams received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Lincoln, specialising in Marketing, Finance and Information Technology.
A financial Management graduate from the Old Dominion University, Virginia USA., Mr. Vinod Adnani is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Multiplex International LLC., UAE’s leading and fastest growing FMCG & Cosmetics distributor.
Mr. Adnani established Multiplex International in the year 1993 and since then the last almost three decades has seen the company grow unprecedentedly with a wide network in the Middle East region, more than 75 varied brands across FMCG, Retail and Cosmetics sector, distributed in over 500 supermarkets & departmental stores. His company is strong with more than 650 employees today with offices in Dubai, Oman, Qatar and very soon to operate in Bahrain.
