My first day in the UAE: 'I arrived on a visit, but made my home here'

Bashar Selo, CEO of Sedar Global

I arrived in the UAE at the age of 21 to visit my family here - with no plan of establishing any business activities - on 12 January, 1979.
The economy back home in Syria was stable and Sedar was doing well as the pioneer of blinds. The economy back home was stable, but the year had seen the collapse of the stock exchange in Kuwait, Al Manakh Market, which in turn affected the local UAE market; therefore, the actual situation wasn't very encouraging.
It was meant to be a vacation, but ended up becoming my home. We all know that Dubai is very fast-paced, but I still remember how cars were slower and traffic jams were non-existent.
There weren't any disappointments, the UAE has only helped us grow and make a home here. Now when I think back, the taxi fares were significantly lower (Dh3-5), and Emirtel was the service provider. While the UAE is considered to be a safe country, back then we didn't even have security locks on our home doors.
We did a quick market study that gave positive results and plans of starting business was in the air. The first step was to open a bank account, and get funds transferred from home. After the legal procedures were dealt with (the municipality visits were and still are required when setting up a company), we opened a showroom in Jaflyiah.
There have been significant changes over the years. Things take less time to manufacture as technology has very much benefited our industry. Moreover, telecommunication services played major roles in these changes. For instance, Emirtel, now known as Etisalat, was the first to provide the car phone (which was originally five digits) then the carry on bag, which housed an actual phone. They then introduced the pager, eventually introducing the SIM card etc.
A big leap in growth
A big help to Sedar's growth and mobility was Emirates Airlines Cargo. Opening the lines of transport by creating highways, tunnels and bridges, they allowed us to be more mobile with products, and gave us more access to deliver across the emirates. Looking back, the UAE had a vision, and from the very beginning went head strong in achieving the goal of becoming a leading business hub. Today, I can proudly say that we count royalty, airlines and hotels among our customers.
I am at the Sedar headquarters in Sharjah at least three or four times a week to supervise the work. The majority of our team members have been with us for over 20 years, so there is a lot of trust, which I think is essential for a company's success. Alongside my team, we continuously work on ways to expand the brand into the market by continuously doing market studies, engaging in team building activities, visiting fairs and exhibiting in them, and adding new products to keep up with the ever-changing demand.
I also visit all 18 showrooms every six weeks, 10 of which are in the UAE; the others in Bahrain, Egypt and KSA.
Sedar is known as a pioneer in the window and wall fashion industry, because we work hard at maintaining customer loyalty, which has seen positive effects on the growth of the brand.
My father always told me that in order to succeed, you should set goals and start small. As long as you work hard and are confident in what you do, you will grow and succeed.
Be wise, create loyalty
Be wise in the way you think, be passionate in what you do, respect everyone, have a big heart, and listen to what people have to say before responding or taking a decision.
As a business owner, you need to be hands on, at least in the beginning to ensure the company culture and rules are understood and met by the team members. Once those are set, the workflow is more fluid and the need to micromanage diminishes.
Lastly, don't take more than what you can bargain. For instance, in our case, we sometimes get requested very large orders and work hard at delivering them on time. And, while it is great business, sometimes the payments come late and it is difficult to bring back that balance of getting paid on time.
I spend my personal time mostly with my family travelling, treasuring friends - new ones and old- especially childhood ones. Those friendships are special.
My favourite book is 'My Vision' written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoom, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in which he details the successful development story of Dubai. He is a visionary, and an inspiration, and the best example to follow in my opinion.
(As told to Sandhya D'Mello)
sandhya@khaleejtimes.com