162-167 ETA@L8:Bab Al Shams
9/4/2008
12:19 AM
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Built on trust Celebrating their 35th anniversary last year, Hameed Salahuddin, Director, ETA Ascon Star Group shares his group's unique strategy for success that over the decades has evolved into making ETA Ascon Star Group one of the region's most influential corporations. e began operations in the early 1970s and celebrated our 35th anniversary last year. And yes, we have come a long way since the early days. The success of the ETA Ascon Star Group can be attributed to many factors. To begin with, we have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Our growth has coincided with the tremendous growth of Dubai over the past three decades. The early entrepreneurship and the farsighted vision of the leadership has not only ensured that we were pioneers in many fields of operations but has also helped sustain our lead position till date. We have also never shied away from exploring any opportunity that comes our way, with the result that we are one of the most diversified business establishments in the region today. Our strength lies in this diversity. But above all, our sustenance power stems from the deep value system that we have. ETA Ascon, which prides itself with a unique culture of humility, has been built on trust and we enjoy a high degree of credibility in the region and beyond. Inshall'ah, this will continue to hold us in good stead as we expand."
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Is your group represented elsewhere in the world and if so, what is the rationale behind your global expansion strategy? "We live a Global Village and cannot afford to operate in isolation. But even before globalization became the buzzword that it is today, our group's activities have been extensive in geographic terms. We operate in over 22 countries of the world today. Our expansion programme has assumed a more global nature in recent years. Basically, we have gained a lot of expertise from the GCC and we would like to take this know-how globally particularly to regions like India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, besides of course the Middle East and North Africa." ETA is an icon for construction excellence in the UAE? Are there other fields of industry that you have excelled in and what new products can we expect in the near future? "Construction was our first area of business but the group has diversified vastly. We are now present in more than 16 industry verticals today. Among them are contracting, engineering, trading, shipping, manufacturing and assembly, facilities management, automobiles, real estate, retail, services, travel and leisure, healthcare, aviation, learning and education, insurance and hospitality. Each of these verticals include a host of businesses, many of which - like ETA M&E, our elevators company ETA Melco and our facilities management company Modern Building Maintenance - are pioneers and continue to enjoy the market leadership today. We have also made a mark for ourselves in property
development and other new areas like higher education." With projects in excess of Dh 5 Billion to date, what future plans does ETA have for development in the UAE? "No doubt our order book is very healthy for the coming five years. We will certainly aim to consolidate our lead position in existing fields of operations. We will also be expanding horizontally, vertically and organically. We will be laying greater emphasis on manufacturing and tapping the immense potential of the oil and gas industry. Of course, we will tap every opportunity that comes our way in any field as it is this spirit of entrepreneurship that has been the hallmark of the ETA Ascon Star Group." Global trends call for environmental sustainability in construction and development. Does the ETA Ascon Group share this view and how can we see this implemented in your projects? "Green is in and it is more than just a catchphrase today. No matter what innovations we may come up with, they will be of little relevance if they are not green-compliant. This will be reflected in all our activities. As you know, ETA Star Properties set a trend by coming out with Verde, which comprises two towers at the Dubai Maritime City. Our group company Zenath has also taken the lead in coming out with many innovative and eco-friendly practices in waste management, horizontal directional drilling, water treatment, vacuum sewerage systems and so on." What challenges have you overcome over the years in building your brand and operating successfully in the UAE? "Branding of an organization, product or service is always a complex issue. There is no one formula for the success of a brand. When an organization is as vast and diverse as ETA Ascon Star, the task becomes that much more difficult. Despite these challenges, however, ETA has tremendous brand equity and I would not be exaggerating if I said that this stems from the deep trust and credibility that we enjoy both within and outside the organization. The end result has been a very solid, dependable and enduring image." How important is HR development for ETA? Does your group offer training and growth for its employees? "As of today, the number of employees within ETA has crossed 69,000. And yes, HR development is one our prime areas of concern. Over the past three decades, we have evolved a unique model of self-reliance when it comes to sourcing and training manpower from a base of loyal and reliable newcomers which has paid off for us. We
Hameed Salahuddin, Director, ETA
also believe in decentralization and empower our employees to realize their full potential. We also have centres of training which identify skills and impart the necessary training for our employees. Many welfare measures and incentives have also been introduced. The result of all this, compared to many has been a very high retention rate within ETA. In fact, we have a sizeable percentage of employees who have been with us right from the inception of the group." Do you feel the tremendous success of Dubai Inc. and its cluster economy model could be mirrored elsewhere in the region as well as in other emerging economies? "Certainly. Dubai is not only a melting pot of diverse cultures but also of diverse economic models. It has had the advantage of drawing the best from the economic models of several countries. People talk of fast-track development and few cities can exemplify this better than Dubai which has emerged as a unique case study, worthy of emulation elsewhere as well." Does ETA Ascon have a committed policy to corporate social development? If so what specific programmes are these? "ETA is a responsible corporate citizen. We have always sought to share the benefits of our success with the less privileged sections of society. We have set up educational institutions, back environmental causes, provide healthcare support, make regular and generous donations towards calamity funds and other needy programmes and promote arts and culture. We also believe that good citizenship begins at home. Integrating our 69,000 employees and their families into the ETA fold and culture can also be an exercise in social development."