How one Dubai resident helped 277 people build new lives

Dubai: Two flags fly outside the balcony of Dubai resident Doulat Ram Narwani – the flag of the UAE and the flag of India.

The two countries, which have shared cultural and trade ties for decades, are reflected in the tight-knit community of textile merchants who have made the UAE their home.

Speak to any of them, and they can often recall down to the exact date they first arrived.

For Narwani, it was July 20, 1977.

And in the 49 years since, he has not only built a life for himself – rising from a job in a textile shop in Deira to owning five shops, warehouses across the world, and employing 55 people – but has also helped others do the same.

“I came to Dubai and then helped people from my family come here as well. Over the years, I have helped 277 people – siblings, relatives and even members of the wider community – who wanted a better life,” he said.

“I salute the UAE. We’ve spent so many years here and never faced any kind of problem. If I’m being honest, I don’t think people know me as well in India as they do in the UAE. Even children in our area know me,” he added.

His brother-in-law, Gobind Railwani, shares a similar journey.

Arriving in 1983, Railwani began with a job in textiles before starting his own business in 1988.

“I started in retail, then moved into wholesale through partnerships,” he said.

Today, the family runs multiple outlets – a retail and two wholesale shops in Deira – serving not just the UAE, but markets across the GCC and Africa, and an office in China.

“The market works here because it’s not just local. You need other markets too – Africa, the GCC. Dubai connects everything,” he explained.

That connectivity, he says, is what transformed small traders into global operators.

“Dubai is a transit hub. From here, goods go everywhere. That’s why business grows.”

Over four decades, Railwani has seen economic cycles come and go – from global financial crises to regional conflicts.

“There are ups and downs in every business. During times like the Lehman Brothers crisis or the Kuwait war, things slowed down, but only temporarily. Business always comes back,” he said.

Even today, supply chain disruptions – such as shipping diversions from Jebel Ali to Khorfakkan – present challenges.

“Containers get delayed, bookings get affected. But these are short-term issues. The system adjusts,” he noted.

For him, resilience is built into the DNA of both the city and its traders.

“This country has God’s blessing. Somehow, things work out. If one route closes, another opens.”

Beyond infrastructure and trade routes, both men point to something less tangible – mindset.

“You have to do good,” Narwani said. “In life, you hear back the echo of your own voice. So, all I have tried to do is help others and that has come back to me as well.”

That outlook has shaped not just their own journeys, but those of the next generation.

“Our children have grown up here and joined the business. What started small has expanded. That’s only possible because of the opportunities here,” he said.

For Narwani, the story is ultimately about belonging.

From helping hundreds find their footing in a new country, to building a business that spans borders, his journey reflects a broader narrative – of a city that rewards persistence, and a community that grows together.

And every morning, as the UAE flag and the Indian flag flutter side by side on his balcony, they stand as a quiet reminder of both where he came from – and everything he built along the way.