ROARING SUCCESS MY PEOPLE, EMPLOYEES, AND CUSTOMERS ARE MY STRENGTH AND THE REASON FOR OUR – RIZWAN SAJAN

Rizwan Sajan, a prominent businessman based in the UAE and the founder of Danube Group, has significantly impacted the real estate market by transforming its dynamics. Shifting from being perceived as having only 1% reliability to earning a full 100% trust and faith, his approach to providing affordable luxury homes offers optimism to emerging earners and young prospective buyers. Beyond his success in the business realm, Rizwan Sajan is recognized for his distinctive style, public image, media presence, and his evident fondness for Bollywood and the entertainment industry. In an interview conducted by Shaneer N Siddiqui, the residence editor at Trade Fair Times Arabia, Sajan delved into discussions about his future plans and shared insights into his business and family philosophy.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Dubai has a booming economy. How do you see the role of trade fairs in the growth of the economy?

Rizwan Sajan : Trade exhibitions, seminars, and conferences greatly influence Dubai’s economy. Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) hosted 1.98 million delegates in 2022, reflecting a strong growth of 29 percent in visits over the previous year. Visitor growth was boosted by 244 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), business and consumer events. Every participant in exhibitions spends on exhibition space, hotel stay, food, airfare, and local transportation and they contribute to the economy by securing business deals. So, trade fares significantly contribute to any city’s tourism and economy. And thanks to the vision of the rulers of Dubai and the UAE, we have become the hub of fares, and exhibitions across categories of fashion, real estate, technology et cetera.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Recently we have seen Danube in Big5, what was special this year, and how was the response in Big5?

Rizwan Sajan : Milano by Danube Home was dynamic at the Big 5 Global Exhibition, showcasing cutting-edge sanitaryware innovations. Milano’s 5-star energy-rated water heaters stole the spotlight, featuring premium materials, innovative technologies, and a commitment to sustainability. The brand, distributed globally, continues to lead in the design, production, and distribution of sanitaryware, offering environmentally conscious solutions.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Danube is participating in Trade Fairs worldwide. As per your experience, how are the UAE’s or Middle East Trade fairs different from other countries?

Rizwan Sajan : We participated in Wetex Dubai, Dubai Design District, Luxury Property Show China, Saudi Cityscape, and Moscow Property Show to name a few.

Trade fairs in the UAE are some of the best industries show events, and in terms of quality of events, they are on par with the best industry events. The number of footfalls and the amount of business generated in these trade shows, make them worthwhile participating. Industry players from other countries come to these exhibitions to meet buyers, sellers, wholesalers, importers, exporters, dealers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. For developing business, these exhibitions play a great role.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Real Estate is now the biggest in Danube’s portfolio and real estate is exploding in the UAE nowadays. What do you think are the key elements responsible for this trend?

Rizwan Sajan : Danube Properties is one of Dubai’s largest private property developers, with a portfolio of 14,888 units in 27 projects totalling more than Dh 15 billion. Today, there is no looking back. As the business grew, we hired more people, and slowly our two-person company became what it is today. We are spread over an area of over 5 million sq. ft. in GCC and have 50 branches worldwide and we don’t plan on stopping this expansion.

There are several factors – or Unique Selling Points (USPs) – that are helping the real estate sector perform better than others. Dubai is a hub of innovation, has a great infrastructure, with ease of doing business. It is a land of opportunity for those who don’t shy away from hard work. It is also a geopolitically important location having access to worldclass airlines that connect Dubai to around 250 cities worldwide. Moreover, the quality of life, security, and lifestyle here encourage investors to relocate and invest in the region.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : So many private local and international real estate fairs are happening in the UAE. Don’t you think that it’s high time that the government regulates property fairs to make them more credible for customers?

Rizwan Sajan : The UAE believes in freedom – if it is not misused. Dubai is an international hub for business activities. People from all over the world come here to do business and source business. The government already has strong regulations guiding property exhibitions. However, anyone is free to organize any number of exhibitions – as long as it remains economical. If there is a demand, there will be supply. So, I don’t think you can or should limit the number of exhibitions – if the organizers play by the rules.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Rizwan Sajan was on the list of Forbes Middle East’s “Top 100 Indian Leaders in the UAE”. As a business leader, how do you see the role of the Indian and sub-continent population in the growth of the UAE?

Rizwan Sajan : South Asians, especially Non-Resident Indians have been playing a great role in building and expanding the UAE economy for the last five decades. If you take my case as an example, I came to the UAE in the early 1990s to either build a career or a business – almost empty-handed. I worked for a few months for a building materials company and then founded one in 1993 in the name of Danube Building Materials – that was run by me, and my only employee was my wife, who looked after the office while I used to run around to build business. Today we are a family of more than 4500 employees – who receive salaries at the end of every month regularly and manage their families – by spending the money in the economy. So, Danube as a business supports the livelihood of more than 4500 families who spend the money to buy groceries, pay for tuition fees, utility bills, and pay rent – almost all going into the economy. So, we are enablers of the economy – like the private sector of all the countries.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : You changed the face of the real estate market with the idea of 1% or incorporating luxury names that are not in real estate at all with your projects like FTV, Aston Martin, and Tonino Lamborghini. From where do these ideas come from, what was your inspiration?

Rizwan Sajan : There was a shortage of affordable homes in the UAE. I aspire for every expat in Dubai to possess their own dream home and relish the luxuries this vibrant city has to offer with a 1 percent payment scheme so that they don’t have to seek mortgage payments. Besides, affordable homes are perceived to be inferior, unhealthy, etc. To change the perception, we promoted affordable luxury – that meant delivering luxury homes at affordable pricing – and a 1 percent monthly payment. To strengthen the affordable luxury concept, we also signed up with international fashion brands like Fashion TV and Tonino Lamborghini Casa.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Before launching any project, what factors do you always keep in mind?

Rizwan Sajan : Location, price, quality, and scalability. Danube Properties maintains a policy of launching one project at a time, selling it out, and then appointing a contractor to build the project, before launching the next one. This way we can focus on every project properly from concept design, approvals, commercial launch, selling out, construction, and delivery

Shaneer N Siddiqui : What is the business philosophy of Rizwan Sajan? What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?

Rizwan Sajan : I have always said that my people are my strength and the reason for our roaring success. That is why Danube focuses on employees and customers because, without them, there is no business. For 21 | Trade fair times arabia | JANUARY 2024 tftarabia.ae us, their satisfaction is everything. Ultimately that is how we came to expand our business into different sectors : to cater to the diverse needs of our customers. Teamwork, commitment, hard work, transparency, accountability, and integrity – are all key to the success of an organization.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : When you started the company 30 years back, where did the name Danube come to mind and What was the idea to keep the company name on a river?

Rizwan Sajan : Danube is the name of a river in Europe. It flows through the European heartland. As I have travelled a lot in Europe, I was fascinated by the Danube name. So, I named my business Danube – after the river Danube. As a name it stood and more people know the word Danube due to our business branding, than the actual river Danube.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : Now the Danube is no longer a UAE company, you are expanding in Europe also, what are the future expansion plans?

Rizwan Sajan : 112 Nationalities have invested with us so far at Danube Properties. We work with hotel partners and brands from all over the world in the Middle East and outside. Danube Home also expanded and opened stores in Bahrain and Qatar this year. This makes Danube a truly global brand.

Having said that, Danube Properties remains a Dubai-based and Dubai-focused international developer, and we believe that the opportunities here will keep us occupied for a considerable period.

Dubai remains a robust destination for global real estate investment due to various factors such as world-class infrastructure and a growth outlook. Despite experiencing significant growth in the last two years, the real estate market in Dubai is relatively onethird of the sky-rocketing prices in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and to some extent, Mumbai. a team leader. Think and work like other colleagues, mix with them, and develop the necessary skills to upgrade yourself. Always remember, every day is a new day to learn!

Shaneer N Siddiqui : In UAE, Bollywood is a synonym for Rizwan Sajan, is Mumbai still in your heart and Bollywood is connecting back to you with your hometown? Were you a fan of Hindi cinema since your childhood and who was your favourite actor and actress in those days?

Rizwan Sajan : I grew up in Mumbai – the commercial capital of India and home to the world’s largest film industry. I grew up with Hindi movies and music – that are part of my heart. Although I started my life struggle at an early stage, Hindi films and music continued to inspire me throughout my journey. To date, I am a fan of Bollywood. Over the years, I have friended many celebrities and all are now my friends. When they are in town, we happily meet and chat. Shaneer N Siddiqui : We have seen you closely, you have a beautiful family with close and distant relatives in Dubai. There were many cases in the past when the money came, it created a rift in families. What is your thought process and how are you carrying them together? Rizwan Sajan : Family is everything to me. Money is important – but not more than its utility. Money helps you buy things and manage your needs. Money should never be given more importance than a relationship – be it family or friends. Family, friendship, religion, society, passion, and your dreams are all way more important in life than money.

Shaneer N Siddiqui : You are popular on social media also. How do you manage the time for shooting?

Rizwan Sajan : I manage everything with good team players and transparent processes. You hire the people who are smarter than you and then you delegate. People and processes are very important, otherwise you can’t manage growth and expansion. My people carry out business for the company. I guide them. I only step in when the team needs my guidance. Otherwise, I sign papers that department heads have approved.