My First Day in the UAE: 'I was lucky to be involved in the dramatic transformation of Dubai'

Dubai - Ivan Sovis, founder-managing director of Sovis Quantity Surveying (Middle East) and long-time Dubai resident of 41 years, witnessed the emirate's exponential construction sector growth first hand

The UAE was barely five years old when I left my native Sri Lanka on 11 September, 1976, to work as a Quantity Surveyor (QS) for a British consultancy in Dubai. It was a very hot day when I landed in Sharjah Airport - I remember finding it difficult to look up due to the sun's glare.
My father had passed away when I was very young and I had endured a lot of hardships and challenges to study Civil Engineering and find a job that would support my mother and sisters. At age 32, I was excited by the prospect of working on pioneering projects in a new country, and developing a strong bond with the UAE; Dubai soon became a second home.
My first salary was Dh2,500 per month and most of it was sent home. Dubai was rapidly developing into one of the best shopping hubs and as a young engineer, I was impressed by the huge range of the latest quality products, eventually managing to afford a Sony music system (I love Arabic music, particularly Amr Diab and Khaled Ibrahim, Sinhalese and Hindi music) and a Sony television. Watching Channel 33, I particularly enjoyed the movies played on Thursday night, relished with dinner from Ravi Restaurant in Satwa.
As one of the first chartered quantity surveyors (QS) to work in the UAE, I was lucky to be involved in the dramatic transformation of the Dubai skyline, starting with the World Trade Centre building along Sheikh Zayed Road. Hard work established a strong industry reputation, and with client endorsement, I launched Sovis Quantity Surveying (Middle East) in 1995.
The company is one of the oldest UAE-based QS and cost consultancy companies in the GCC and one of the first in the region to be accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Over the past 22 years, we've experienced phenomenal growth simultaneously with the industry's expansion. We are proud to have built a reputation as an honest, highly ethical and hardworking family business.
The UAE has consistently been named as one of the world's most generous countries.
The wisdom and the humanitarian UAE leadership inspired us to establish a CSR policy and actively pursue several philanthropic projects including building homes for the poor and displaced families (special projects include Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka), the disabled and providing education for orphans and under-privileged children.
As the saying goes, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman". I am blessed to have the support of my wife, Amitha M. Sovis, who encouraged me to set up my own business, and my children, from whom I learnt how to use social media. I constantly learn, even from my 3-year-old grand-daughter Anuskha! Now, we watch our favourite Sinhalese teledramas on YouTube, whereas in the past we had to wait several months for the cassettes to release.
I am fortunate to have experienced Dubai's exponential growth in the construction sector and in my own small way, contribute by delivering a wide range of projects including iconic structures and construction marvels that reflect our leaders' great vision and aspirations for the country. I am grateful and humbled by the fact that the UAE gave me the ambition to start a business and the opportunity to flourish even with limited money.
To anyone who lands in the UAE today, I suggest avoiding a myopic view, particularly one focused on short-term and individual benefit only. Instead, embrace the country, its values and opportunities and lead a fulfilling life by engaging with the community and contributing to its vision and success. Over time, you will find unexpected life changing opportunities.
Every Dubai expat should ask themselves, in the words of John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what the country can do for you, but you can do for the country".
The best advice that I got was from my mentor, Brian Hayes, a father figure to me who advised on business matters and supported my career in the UAE. Hayes would encourage me to stay true to myself and keep focused and continue doing my best and what I believed in, in times of adversity and difficulty.
I am enjoy this position today because of him. Over the years, I developed a golden rule that I follow, "Always be honest, be fair and reasonable to all, share knowledge, help others and do the right thing even if it isn't to your advantage".
- As told to Sandhya D'Mello