Danube boss: ‘I fell in love with UAE’ Danube founder Rizwan Sajan credits UAE’s business-friendly policies for his success By Shafaat Shahbandari, Staff ReporterPublished: 14:43 November 22, 2013Gulf News Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services5 Image Credit: Gulf News Archive Rizwan Sajan Dubai: There are only few expatriate businessmen in the UAE who can match his stature. There are even fewer of those who can match the pace at which he grew. In just over two decades, through sheer hard work, business acumen and a bit of luck, Rizwan Sajan has made himself and his brand Danube a household name in the country. His mercurial rise from humble beginnings has a striking resemblance to the success story of the emirates and he credits his adopted “homeland” for his transformation from an ordinary trader to a business tycoon. “Luck and timing is very important. I was at the right place at the right time. When things started to move up in the UAE and Dubai in particular, Danube was already well established and I was able to take advantage of the demands and requirements of the market,” says Sajan, founder and Chairman of Danube Group, one of UAE’s most visible brands. Gulf News spoke to Sajan as part of the 42 UAE National Day celebrations. Sajan, who currently owns stores at more than 40 locations in nine countries worldwide, came to Dubai in 1991 and started his trading business within a year with just Dh8,000 in his pocket, never to look back. “I came to UAE after the invasion of Kuwait. I was in Kuwait for eight years working with my uncle’s hardware business before I came to the emirates, but when Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait I went back to India and then came to Dubai,” Sajan says. “Had the Gulf War not taken place I would have continued to work in Kuwait, but fate had other plans,” he adds: To begin with, Sajan joined a hardware firm as a salesman at the Dubai’s famed Murshid Bazaar for a meagre salary of Dh1,500 and after a year working as a salesman he set up his own venture. “It was all hard work for the first few years. After a year in indenting and brokerage of steel and wood, in 1993 I established Danube and in 1995 I set up my first store in Sharjah Industrial Area. For the next five years we had a steady growth during which we added a few more stores, including the one on Salahuddin Street in Dubai,” said Sajan. Vision But Danube’s real turnaround came at the turn of the new millennium when Dubai’s real estate boom started with the opening of Dubai’s real estate market for expatriates. “I grew with Dubai. As the city witnessed phenomenal progress over the past decade so did my venture. I salute the leadership and vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who was the pioneer in inspiring the boom which the entire country benefitted from. That was the time when we pressed the accelerator, as towers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah reached greater height so did our business,” added Sajan. A workaholic and an astute businessman, Sajan’s work ethics and determination has won him several awards and honours including one of the top 25 Young Achievers in the UAE. Recently, he also made it to the top ten of the Forbes list of Top 100 Indian Leaders in the UAE. However, Sajan believes it was UAE and its business-friendly policies that helped him grow, more than anything else. “I fell in love with this country the moment I stepped into Dubai airport for the first time. It felt so welcoming when the Emirati officer at the airport spoke to me in Hindi and I have felt the same with every step that I have taken since then. “I owe my success to UAE and its leadership, without which I wouldn’t be what I am today. I congratulate the UAE on its National Day and hope it will continue to grow.” Although he has reached the pinnacle of success, Sajan doesn’t forget his humble beginnings and participates readily in social and charitable activities. The Danube Community Center, which he established to help blue-collar workers improve skills such as communication, is an example of his philanthropy.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:19:49 +0000
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