The detour that changed his life

It was a detour of sorts that Reza Moeinzadeh took 25 years ago, which changed his life for the better...

Iranian-born Moeinzadeh was 23 at the time, and had just graduated in Electronic Engineering from Queen Mary College, University of London. His family was based in Doha, and Moeinzadeh - who was keen to pursue his higher studies in telecommunications - decided to head to the US. However, he decided to make a stopover in Dubai to look up a relative. It was a decision that changed the course of his life. "As soon as I landed in this city, way back in 1986, I instinctively knew that this was the place I wanted to [live and work in]," says Moeinzadeh.

He stayed.

The now 48-year-old businessman says, "I came across many business opportunities here and realised very early on that I wanted to set up my own business." Though his father, a successful businessman in Doha, offered to lend him a hand, Moeinzadeh refused, and instead decided to chart his own destiny.

"My first job was as a technical assistant to an engineer in a small firm," he says.

"Over the next five years, I moved on to do various jobs, including one in a supermarket as a store manager. Alongside, I collaborated with a friend to start a small business that imported fashion clothing from Europe and the Far East.

"We bought the clothes in bulk and sold them to local retailers. Four years later, we had to shut shop because several malls sprung up across the city. Then I started a business supplying corporate gifts. I opened my first office in Baniyas Square (Deira), in 1991. In 2003, I set up another business - a factory in Sharjah Free Zone, to manufacture exhibition stands and interior shop fittings. I also started a general trading business that dealt with exotic foods (caviar, high-quality nuts, special herbs, etc).

"In 2005, I acquired the exclusive distributorship for the Middle East from Ten Ren - the numero uno brand of tea from the Far East. This inspired me to open a specialised Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant in Dubai, which became operational at the end of 2008. Today I import and supply more than 60 varieties of tea from the Far East."

He firmly believes that hard work and perseverance are indispensable for success. However, the success he has enjoyed is also due to one other indispensable factor - the power of belief... Dubai turns dreams into reality! "This city is a hub for the entire region. As an entrepreneur, what more can I ask for?"

- Ritu Raizada is Lifestyle features coordinator, Friday