Burj Khalifa Builder On Why He Prefers Hiring Indians: "They Answer The Phone Even At 1 am"

Mohamed Alabbar, the founder of Emaar Properties and the developer behind the Burj Khalifa, has praised Indian professionals for having the strongest work ethic in the world. Speaking at the Make It in the Emirates summit, Alabbar said his preference for hiring Indian talent stems from their consistency, dedication, and willingness to go the extra mile. He noted that many Indian employees remain accessible even at unconventional hours, reflecting a deep sense of responsibility toward their work.

According to him, success in business is less about intelligence and more about sustained effort and attention to detail. He emphasised that hard work goes beyond putting in long hours, it involves carefully evaluating opportunities, taking calculated risks, building the right teams, and ensuring disciplined execution.

"I always tell people, from my own perspective, my IQ is average, but my hard work is the best. I believe in hard work," he said, as per Gulf News. 

Alabbar linked these qualities directly to Indian professionals, describing them as highly committed and dependable. He added that their readiness to respond at any time of day reinforces his confidence in relying on Indian talent across his ventures.

"The harder you work, the luckier you will get. There's a saying, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard, and this is why I like to hire Indians, because they answer the phone even at one o'clock in the morning," he added. 

He also underlined that companies navigating uncertain environments are those that remain vigilant, continuously reassess risks, and push teams to deliver consistently. Reflecting on major disruptions such as the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabbar said businesses must build resilience proactively rather than reacting after challenges arise.

"There was hard lesson for everyone. We had some hard lessons during the COVID pandemic as well as other crises. When you learn from 2008 and from COVID, you have to build an agile and resilient business that can handle these circumstances," Alabbar said.

Drawing from these experiences, he explained that Emaar took early steps during recent crises to safeguard its workforce, including assuring employees of job security and stable salaries. These decisions, he said, were shaped by lessons learned during previous downturns.

He concluded by stressing that a company's long-term reputation is defined by how it treats its people in difficult times, adding that trust and stability are the foundation of sustainable success.

Mohamed Alabbar is a global entrepreneur and the visionary founder of Emaar Properties, best known for developing the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. Growing up in government housing in Old Dubai, he built a multi-billion-dollar empire that spans real estate, retail, and e-commerce.