Life & Style | People
Keeping time
Vice-chairman of his family business, Abdul Hamied Seddiqi has been instrumental in the expansion of the company from watches to construction. He talks to Shiva Kumar Thekkepat about the importance of time management.
- By Shiva Kumar Thekkepat, Feature Writer
- Published: 23:55 October 23, 2008
- Vice-chairman of his family business, Abdul Hamied Seddiqi has been instrumental in the expansion of the company from watches to construction.
- Image Credit: Silvia Baron/
Vice-chairman of his family business, Abdul Hamied Seddiqi has been instrumental in the expansion of the company from watches to construction. He talks to Shiva Kumar Thekkepat about the importance of time management. Photos by Silvia Baron
Abdul Hamied Seddiqi strides in for our appointment right on time.
"I don't like to waste time," he says without any heat when he sees us waiting for him. That perhaps is the signature note to his character. No flurry, no fuss. He has no qualms talking about his life and family, within the context of his job. His no-fuss approach to posing for pictures makes him a photographer's delight.
Abdul Hamied is the vice-chairman of Ahmed Hamied Seddiqi & Sons, founded and established by his father in 1950. Abdul Hamied joined the company in 1974. The dynamic growth of Dubai drove his decision to extend the business to construction. He is also a member of the board of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 1997 and a committee member of Gulf Fund Management Limited.
But the watch business remains close to his heart. His company markets around 40 luxury brands, which also includes fashion brands such as Armani.
He's shrewd as would befit a businessman. He wears two watches, one on each wrist; one for himself and one for his customers. Rolex is his watch of choice, while the other is the brand of the moment. "It's good business sense. People check to see what I am wearing and it's a good opportunity to promote our brands," he says.
The genuine concern he exhibits when he notices that his PR person is pregnant shows another side of the man. This kind of concern is the reason that there are three generations of employees working in his company.
Sensing that the photographer is itching to scout for angles to shoot his pictures, he tells his assistant, "Show the lady around the workshop, she can look for some places to shoot." Not a second wasted. "That's the story of my life," he says without ostentation.
I
I believe in punctuality. Time is precious – of all the things in life, time is what I value the most. Time is something you can't put a value to, unlike the watches we sell. Even though we only distribute watches, and don't make them ourselves, we value it like none of our other businesses, because time is so much a part of our lives.
I schedule every minute of my day. I plan everything down to the last detail. Even when I am travelling on a holiday, I don't leave until I have all the bookings, flights, hotels and bits in between confirmed. There is no point in wasting time! The same goes for appointments. If I have an appointment for 12 noon, I'll be there a few minutes before; never after the appointed time.
I not only value my time, but others' too. I am in the time-keeping business so how can I not be on time? If I am by any chance late, I make a point of letting the other party know; their time is as valuable as mine. Of course, you can get stuck in traffic, though I usually make allowances for that too, or if there's an emergency. Accuracy is important – as is the case with my watches! But I am not so rigid that I can't make changes in my schedule to accommodate a last-minute change. But I only make changes if it is really important.
I usually wake up at around 8am.
My days are regular. It's straight to office for me. I work till around 2pm. Then it's back home for lunch and a siesta.
A walk or a session in the gym is a must after I get up. After the evening prayers, I go to the majlis to meet my friends and have an early dinner. By midnight I'm in bed.
I don't like falsity. Honesty is my strong point. I am open about everything. I don't hide behind words. In my business everything must be straightforward. Even if it's a weakness, I will not cover it up to protect myself. If I am guilty of some wrongdoing, I'll always admit to it.
I like to live in luxury, but I prefer to be low-profile. I don't like to show off although I live life in the fast lane. I wouldn't deal in luxury goods if I didn't like luxury myself.
The important thing is to equate it with quality. You can buy a shirt for Dh5 or Dh500. What matters is the quality. But I don't flaunt labels – I don't need diamonds in my watch; its function is to tell time, even if fashionably!
Me
Me and growing up
I grew up in Dubai in a different world. We are from a very different generation. Dubai was not the Dubai you see today, or even some decades back. We lived through all the stages of development beginning in the late '50s and early '60s. My generation is the link between Dubai's past and present. I've seen Dubai without electricity, no water and no roads.
I've seen the old and new. It makes me humble and more than proud. From no roads, no cars and sleeping on the ground to this kind of lifestyle is amazing!
But then we didn't miss the cars either, because there was nowhere to go. We would go to Ras Al Khaimah;
Al Ain was too far away, there was no road and it was very difficult for us to cross the desert those days. We used to visit our relatives in Ras Al Khaimah, travelling there on Thursdays.
Those days there was a small lagoon between Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain and we had to cross it when the tide was low. It used to take us more than two hours those days. But we didn't feel it was a hardship. Children are a lot more spoilt today and have become too materialistic.
The only pastime was to go to the Dubai Creek. There were no big buildings then. We used to stay at Al Fahidi in Bur Dubai where the museum is today. There was nothing else there. Where BurJuman now stands, there was a huge dune! There used to be a zareiba – an improvised stockade of thorny bushes – around an oasis lined with palm trees.
We used to draw water from this well and bring it home on a donkey. The area where the Holiday Inn has been built was a dune of white sand. It was tough, but it was also a memorable time.
Those experiences prepared us for the future; it made us hardy. We didn't have cars to go to school. Our school was near the Diwan – the Ruler's Court. Our next school was near the Plaza Cinema. All the families were close-knit and most stayed near each other and so we had that support. That influenced my generation a great deal in that it made us what we are today.
Now, that proximity and warmth is missing. Of course, we can't expect it to remain the same with the growth in population. There is a dearth of space so we all have to move farther away from each other.
Our parents were teachers to us.
We learnt most of the important things in life from them while sitting at their feet. My father started this business that his children and grandchildren are a part of today. My eldest brother followed him, then my second brother and finally I followed in their tracks. Now, we have the new generation –
our children, both boys and girls – in the businesses. If they want to work, they are welcome.
Me and my values
If ever a situation arrived where I had to choose just one thing I could keep, it would be health. I am very careful with my health. I feel it is something that we have to preserve; all the wealth in the world cannot be enjoyed without health. I go to the gym regularly and walk every day. I have to be especially careful as I am diabetic. I am also very particular about my diet.
Part of my philosophy is to never take more than you need. How much can a person eat, how much can you enjoy? Whether it's food or any other thing, you only need enough to satisfy your hunger.
If you ask me to spell out my philosophy in a sentence it would be, 'live for the day'. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, so you better make the best of the now.
Me and my family
I like to spend my spare time with my family, especially on holidays. In Dubai, I don't have much time to spend with my family. When we travel, I prefer to spend time with them, rather than go out. In fact, I think I spend more time with my family abroad than in Dubai!
My second daughter is in the business. She's the marketing manager. My first daughter is married and lives in Qatar. The third one is at university and will finish this year. My son is still in school. I am not a very strict parent in the conventional sense. They are not afraid of me, I have a good relationship with them.
I am not dictatorial; they can sit and talk to me. With the girls, sometimes it can be difficult for them to explain some things to me, as a man, but we still have a great relationship. They are all very good children.
Of course I would like them to join our business, because I would like them to continue our work. All of us – my brothers and I – get along very well and would like our children to continue to expand the businesses. It might seem easy for them now that the businesses are established. But it requires hard work and discipline.
Me and the family business
Family businesses, like other businesses, depend on good management and each person understanding and fulfilling their role. Every person's role should be clearly defined.
The management and the structure of the company are most important. Many family-run businesses are in trouble today because they don't strictly follow rules. If any of the children are not fit to run the company, you have to bring in professionals from outside. The management and the rules are paramount, otherwise we will sink. We have to be realistic.
It's very easy for the second or third generation to come and destroy what has been built by hard work. We started out in the 1950s and we are still going strong. We want this success to continue.
Myself
What are your views on the watch business? Does it come second to your real estate business now?
Watches are our main business, but it's also like a hobby that you encourage. It has an emotional appeal so it is more than just business. For many, it's just about keeping time, but it's so much more than that.
There are literally wheels within wheels. So many things – people, talent and skills – are involved in their production.
Most people don't appreciate this.
About two years back, we took a group of people to show them the manufacture of watches, from A to Z: how many components there are, how they are assembled, where they begin their life, how many hours it takes to make one and so on. They were amazed. They also realised why some watches are delivered after six months, or one year after they are ordered. Now they appreciate the time and loving detail behind the watches they strap onto their wrists.
Luxury watches are made by hand and it shows.
Real estate has its place. But we deal only in high-end properties. By that I don't mean in terms of price. We offer the best at very reasonable rates. We don't fluctuate with the market. Some of our tenants have been with us right from the beginning.
Consistent quality, maintenance at very reasonable rates are part of our promise and commitment.
I enjoy both sides of my work and make sufficient time for each business.
What do your duties as a 'fine watch ambassador' entail?
I have been appointed 'fine watch ambassador' by the Fondation De La Haute Horlogerie for the UAE because we distribute mostly luxury brands.
The Foundation has around 100 fine watch ambassadors from all over the world – from retailers and collectors to experts in the watch industry whose role will be to represent and promote the Foundation's activities. We contribute to the fight against counterfeits and copies and support and participate in events and activities relating to the market.
What is the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in your organisation?
CSR plays a major role. Business is not just about succeeding. It also involves a certain responsibility, not only to your employees but to society. But I don't like to talk about it.
I'd rather do something useful.
– Shiva Kumar Thekkepat is Feature Writer, Friday
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