Abu Dhabi: A young Indian man travelled by ship to Dubai in 1970. He could not purchase a ticket for a flight as he was not an income tax payer in his country.
"But my destination became a new country [UAE] the next year, which brought me up as an income tax payer in India later years along with its [UAE's] progress," says K.T Joseph, 68.
He reached Abu Dhabi empty-handed and managed to establish a successful cargo company in the emirate and hotel business in India simultaneously.
In 1970 he did not have an income tax receipt to submit to Indian authorities to enable him to purchase a flight ticket. India's then controlled economy which was called ‘Licence and Quota Raj' had strict regulations on all economic activities and demanded several such documents from those who wished to purchase foreign currency and flight tickets.
Looking back
"I did not have an income tax receipt as I was leaving the country in search of greener pastures due to lack of income in the family; so I purchased a ticket on a ship," Joseph said in lighter vein, looking back to the beginning of his 41 years of life in Abu Dhabi.
Joseph and his wife Lalimma Joseph, 56, who joined him in Abu Dhabi in 1976 after the marriage, spoke to Gulf News at their apartment on Khalifa Street recently. Although he enjoys tax free status in India for his income from Pioneer Cargo company in Abu Dhabi as an NRI (Non Resident Indian), he started paying income tax on his business in India.
Recollecting his first journey to Dubai in 1970, he said British Overseas Airlines Corporation was operating flights from Mumbai (then Bombay) to Dubai.
However, he boarded a ship called Sirdhana on May 27, 1970, from Mumbai seaport. Three ships were shuttling between Mumbai and Dubai.
He was concerned about the ship journey because some passengers had died when a ship called Dhara sunk in the sea a few years previously. The ship, travelling via Karachi in Pakistan, safely anchored in Dubai after seven days, on June 5, 1970.
He still keeps his first passport with the visa as a reminder that the UAE did not exist back then, but Dubai was part of the Trucial States ruled by the British. His visa reads: "Seen at the British High Commission, Madras [now Chennai].
"Good for a single journey to Trucial States within three months of date hereof if passport remains valid. Date 21 May 1970.
"For and on behalf of the government of Trucial states NOC No: 6515 dated 28.04.1970, stay not to exceed one year provided employed by Harilal Dayal [the sponsor]."
Though he landed here with a diploma in pharmacy and four years experience as a pharmacist in India, he was jobless for nine months.
Economic prosperity
"There were just four pharmacies in Abu Dhabi city — Al Khadi, Al Baker, Ibn Sina and Al Fahimi. So there were not many job opportunities."
Later, he got a job as the pharmacist with an initial monthly salary of Dh400 but realised the job would not bring economic prosperity. So he tried some part-time businesses along with the job, which did not succeed. But Pioneer Gulf Servicing LLC, the cargo company he established with his partners in 1978, started to flourish and he left his pharmacy job.
His son Lijo, 34 and daughter Maria, 31 who were born and brought up here, but educated in India settled back home with their children. Lijo, who holds an MBA degree, looks after his father's Arcadia Group of Hotels in Kerala.
Still Joseph does not want to leave Abu Dhabi and settle back home. Instead, he spends at least 15 days back home each month and then returns to Abu Dhabi.
"This country helped me to achieve beyond my educational qualification and expectations."
He believes some good deeds he did for others also contributed to prosperity in life. "I had the opportunity to help some people for which God has helped me a lot."
