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Member Profile
Surender Kandhari What brought you to Dubai and when? It seems only yesterday that I arrived in Dubai! I still remember when I took up golf playing on the browns of the Country Club sand course. Thirty-six years later I am still here and still consider Dubai to be my home. How has life in Dubai been for you in all that time? Dubai has been very good to us and God has allowed us to build a global tyre and battery business based here. We started with the tyre business in Dubai and today sitting in the UAE, we are in over 65 countries and have for example 3% market share in the UK tyre market. In 2011 we set up the most modern industrial battery plant in the world based in RAK. The rulers of this country have afforded us tremendous opportunities and we are always genuinely grateful to them. What other dreams have you relaised in your time here? The most important opportunity that we have been given is to allow mine and my wife’s dream to come true. On 17th of January 2012 we opened the first official Sikh Temple (Gurudwara) in the Middle East in Jebel Ali Village. It took us five Club Life Issue 21
years to build and has turned out to be the most modern Gurudwara in the world. As per our traditions we serve free food from 06.00 to 21.00 everyday to all who come to the temple. On Friday 13th of April we served over 40,000 meals in one day. Everybody, whatever their faith, is welcome to there and I would recommend to all our members to visit the Gurudwara in Jebel Ali Village and enjoy a spiritual experience along with a tasty vegetarian meal. Tell us about your family? I have been lucky to have been supported in my life in Dubai by my family. They say that behind every successful man is a woman telling him he is wrong! In my case this is only partially true. Standing shoulder to shoulder with me is definitely a strong woman but she is not telling me that I am wrong. Instead she is strong enough to be my rock and gentle enough to be the wind beneath my wings. She has given me two wonderful sons Jasjeev and Harjeev who, in turn, have brought into my life two beautiful daughters Anju and Manika and four amazing grandsons. Jasjeev and Anju have three sons; Sahej, Sumair and Karam. Harjeev and Manika has one son, Siraj (I am now waiting patiently
for the fifth!) We are all very happy living and enjoying life in Dubai. What does Emirates Golf Club mean for you? I am known by my Company’s name AL DOBOWI (Man from Dubai) and I am very proud of it. God has also been kind enough to give me an extended family at Emirates Golf Club. I have been part of the EGC family from the first day in 1987 that the Club opened. I have been fortunate enough to have been Captain in 2008-2009 and I have also been lucky enough to organise and sponsor several tournaments there. The Infinity Al Dobowi Emirates Mixed Amateur Open will be in its fourteenth year this year and the Hankook Greensomes has just completed its thirteenth year. Most importantly though this year was the 20th year for the Indian Invitational Tournament and I am happy that we could raise AED20,000 for the Junior Staff fund. I am very proud to be a member of one the best Golf Clubs in the world. Thank you to all the EGC family for making this not only one of the best courses in world but one of the best clubs in the world, one where everyone knows your name and you can feel at home!