In the past couple of days, we have been looking at some of the truly inspiring rags to riches stories of people who came from humble Indian backgrounds and made it good in the UAE. These stories are of some of the stalwarts of the expat community in the UAE and they continue to inspire all those to come to Dubai and other parts of the UAE in search of a better life.
This is a name familiar to people in India and many other countries of the world as well – as a chain of quality jewellery stores. It was back in the 1950s that the father of Joy Alukkas opened the first store in Kerala in Trissur. Though Alukkas was a class 12 dropout, he did so to join his father's business. The first store in UAE was opened in Abu Dhabi in 1987, after which the brand has gone from strength to strength with a presence in 11 countries. The net worth of Alukkas today – known as the man with the Midas touch – is in the region of $1.3 billion.
Another Keralite, Dr. Azad Moopen came to the UAE back in 1987 from Kalpakancheri in Malappuram district, Kerala. The idea was to raise Rs.10 lakhs for a mosque renovation back home and not to set up practice in the UAE. However, fate had other plans for the man who won a gold medal as a medical student. To begin with, the young doctor started his clinic in Bur Dubai in a small apartment. In 2008, his company Aster DM Healthcare was valued at $100 million, and today the physician – pretty much a household name in a country with several hospitals – is a billionaire.
He is the founder of NMC Healthcare and is known today as the richest Indian in the UAE. However, he famously arrived at UAE from Udupi in 1973 with one shirt (because his luggage was lost in transit) and $8 in his pocket. He started out as a medical rep, waiting outside clinics and dispensaries to make sales. His hard work and creative ideas for the field of medicine mean that Dr. Shetty is not only the founder and chairman of New Medical Centre (which he started in 1975) but also of the UAE Exchange, Finablr, Neopharma and BRS Ventures. Today he is worth an incredible $4.2 billion. Stories such as these tell us that poverty and modest means need not hold one back if one has the talent and the ideas and is prepared to work hard for success.
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