An Article published by The Super 100 – Next generation of business leaders & young professionals from India in the middle east and africa.
For an Idea Example of Destiny’s Child, there couldn’t be a better person than Riyaz Merchant.
Brimming with self-confidence and loaded with enthusiasm, the way he set about building his career is almost like a fairy tale come true. While in Dubai during the 2002 Shopping Festival, he was so enamored by the city that he decided to make it his career destination; he instantly landed a job by attending just one interview while on that holiday. Right from his first job at the Dubai Internet City, Riyaz recalls his journey across the four different companies he has worked for during his 17-year long career. He systematically moved up the ranks from trainee to manager to director, ventured on his own and finally established a premium brand in the real estate industry. Today as CEO of a vibrant and successful enterprise, Riyaz Merchant and Realty Force are synonymous with success and with survival in a time of turmoil.
Riyaz Merchant
A livewire of enthusiasm and confidence
Every step that Riyaz Merchant took seemed to be driven by fate. Ready to return home after his first job at Dubai Internet City, he met the commercial manager of Nakheel Properties, Mr. Saeed Musallam, in a game store. The chance conversation landed Riyaz a job at Nakheel. The livewire personality that he is saw him attending exhibitions for the company across the world in big cities like London, Moscow, Mumbai, Ireland, etc.
Then, he had a chance meeting with the CEO of Dubai Properties, Mr. Mohamed Bin Brek, in London. Though it was a move from a larger to a smaller company, Riyaz let destiny take its course. He confesses struggling during the first week but soon he learnt the ropes, challenging himself to excel. This position anchored him for the next nine years in what he terms as “one of the best phases of my life.” With full support and encouragement from the Chairman, Mr. Hashim Al Dabal and the CEO, Riyaz was voted the ‘Best Salesperson’ for 5 successive years from 2004 to 2008.
He later moved to Damac Properties as the Director of Sales where he managed a sizeable team. Well-versed with the nitty-gritties and market fluctuations of the real estate industry, Riyaz is a domain expert with enough knowledge to write a book on the subject! While the time was ripe for him to start his own venture, fate had other plans; Riyaz joined the reputed Realty Force, first as a board member and later as the CEO.
Riyaz married his college sweetheart of 10 years and now enjoys life with her and their two wonderful children.
With sports in his DNA, he takes the kids to various sports activities and regularly visits the gym and the golf course. Riyaz himself is from a family of three siblings and their parents. While his mother taught him to face life’s challenges, he also recalls his father saying, “Hardwork can often be eclipsed but never extinguished.” His whole life is filled with such leaps of faith like the time he realised he was a good commentator just because he was forced to fill in for the specialist who didn’t turn up. One can almost imagine a shy and petrified 10-year-old Riyaz being handed a script and asked to face a 1000-strong crowd. But, he not only braced his fears; he presented the speech of his lifetime to an all-round applause. Today, Riyaz is a self-made man at the top of his chosen industry and an iconic example for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
