Some people dream of success while a few wake up and work hard for it. No one defines this better than Islam Ahmad, a Successful Project Manager at Future Technical Services. Our association with Islam dated to 2015 when we met during our ongoing furniture installation work in Abu Dhabi.
Where most teenage boys lived a laid-back life, he was toiling under the sun to make ends meet. In this story, Islam poignantly recalls the struggles of his growing-up years and accords those hardships in sculpting his strong personality today.
Childhood years Flew by Faster than Expected
Growing up in a middle-class family and being the eldest sibling, Islam never wanted to burden his father who was working hard to keep a roof over his family’s head. He knew he had to earn his own money to fund his education. At the tender age of 16 when most boys play games or hang out with friends, Islam was sweating his energy, working and studying simultaneously to establish his own restaurant in his hometown in Jordan. He recollects “The most challenging thing was keeping everything going at the right pace during the crowded hours.”
Not only that after working from 8 pm to 3 am, he would also travel back early in the morning to attend university classes from 8 am to 4 pm. The bus turned his bed and the 4-hour journey back to university was the only time he slept.
Working with a bunch of middle-aged people meant defying age, so he grew up much faster to deal with people older than him. It just seemed so ridiculous that a kid entering his teens had to think, act and work like an adult. This played a huge role in his attaining maturity at an early age and he soon grew popular among his employees and customers.
He affirms ‘Humans are gifted with a lot of intelligence and energy, and one must utilize it to the fullest from a young age.’ He proudly recalls ‘The last time I borrowed money from my father was when I was 16 and ever since I have been earning my own bread. This itself is a great achievement for me.’
Early Career
After graduating in Business Administration, he began working in the procurement department of MARKVIP, one of the leading fashion retailers in the Middle East, before its acquisition in 2017. He joined as the firm’s 9th employee and saw it grow to a workforce of 8000. As the sourcing team leader, he signed contracts and deals overseas with designers. Being a huge business with large-scale dealings, it gave him rich experience back then.
He then moved to Turkey in 2012 and started working as a Business Development Director for Boska Fashion Group. Around 2015 he got an offer from Brand New 24/7, an online e-commerce trading platform in UAE. As he always had a penchant for furniture, he decided to shift to the furniture industry. So, after working for a year, he moved on from the online e-commerce sector to the offline furniture sector. He says, ‘As furniture is something every organization needs and you can develop your own style customized to your use, I saw a big opportunity here and was inclined to work with bespoke furniture manufacturers.’
Presently the Project manager of a leading Funiture Company, he is involved in creating and installing customized furniture for Government Projects. Working closely with the Ministry of Education, Future Technical Services supplies innovative educational digital equipment, modern furniture, and smart AV integrated systems for Emirati schools and government offices in the UAE.
Association with E-Movers
On an ongoing assignment, he bumped into Siddhi Joshi, General Manager of E-Movers and Amal, Sales Manager of E-Movers. He was so impressed with a presentation about how they execute their work — hassle-free furniture moving, dismantling, and furniture installation jobs — and ever since there have been no regrets.
He iterates “Working with E-Movers has always been pleasant as they are true professionals and have a very caring approach towards their work. They assure you no damage when shifting or fixing furniture true to their motto mess-free stress-free always. When E-Movers are on the job they’ll be doing it right and checking on them is not even a question.”
Life in UAE
Islam feels landing on UAE soil was the best thing that ever happened to him. These 10 years in the UAE were the most memorable years of his life. Nationalities from countries across the world have made UAE their home and continue to live harmoniously here. It opened his eyes to a lot of things — he grew better as a person, enhanced his skills, learned about diverse cultures and his career flourished. He states, “Life in UAE has always been amazing. You learn the new, taste varied cuisines and pick up new languages. We learn from others as they learn from us.”
He asserts, “The UAE is a perfect mix of modern life where traditional values are still honoured. Though the country is progressing towards the future, it hasn’t forgotten its roots. Its heritage and culture are well preserved. A trailblazer for freedom and tolerance all religions freely operate here.”
“I want to compliment the UAE for being a respectful and peaceful nation in true essence”, grins Islam.
Personal life
Islam now happily married is a father to a month-old baby boy. The couple got the greatest gift of life with the birth of their son on Valentine’s Day this year. All excited to be a doting father, he wants his sons to walk in his footsteps.
His favourite quote and advice to the new generation is ‘Dreams don’t come true with magic. It takes hard work, sweat and determination to make dreams into a reality.”
On these lines, he gets candid that though he would support his son like a rock backstage, he would never feed him with a silver spoon. His mini-me must fend for himself as it’s only the struggles of today that’ll turn him into a strong man of tomorrow.