Rizwan Sajan & Danube

Rizwan Sajan is an Indian businessman. He is based in the UAE. He is founder and chairman of Danube Group, UAE's largest diversified conglomerates with building materials, property, construction and home furnishings.Sajan reached 7th and 8th in Top 100 Indian Business Owners In The Arab World for the years 2015 and 2018, respectively. In March 2018, he relaunched the Filmfare Middle East Magazine

Sajan was born in a middle-class family in Mumbai. He lost his father at age 16. As a teenager, he started selling books and fireworks to support his family. At age 18 he went to Kuwait for a job but the war changed everything and he returned to Mumbai in 1991.

Sajan moved to Dubai in 1993 and began working at a hardware store for AED 1,500. He started his own business with his wife Sameera, his first employee. He established Danube as a small trading firm in 1993 with a few hundred dirhams. Today the company's turnover exceeds $ 1.4 bn and operates in 50 plus locations globally, he employs 3,300 plus employees across the world, including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and China.

Philanthropy

In November 2012, Sajan started the Danube Welfare Society. The society offers training courses to help unskilled workers improve their language skills and develop their careers.

Recognition

50 most powerful Indians in the UAE by Arabian Business.

Seventh and 8th positions in top 100 Indian leaders in the UAE for the years 2015 and 2018 by Forbes Middle East

Visionary of the year at the 1st CEO Awards.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Excellence Award

Dubai Quality Award

Dubai Customs Award, RAK SME Award

Dubai Logistics and Supply Chain Award

UAE's Top 20 Performers.

Sajan participates in panel discussions and thinking leadership programs including the Indian Leaders Delegation to India, ICAI-Abu Dhabi Chapter and an opinion leader in the SME Adviser Magazine.

faayiz mohamed