When 24-year-old K V Shamsudheen set out for the dream destination of Sharjah on July 15, 1970, with just two dollars in his pocket, the UAE was not even born then. The emirate was still part of the Trucial State under British protection. Onboard the vessel from Mumbai, while being buffeted by the monsoon winds, he battled seasickness with determination to forge a better future in the new land. During the voyage, the words of his dad rang in his ears: “Never send hawala money; don’t look at money that is not yours even if it is a pile.”
Half a century later, much water has flowed through Sharjah Creek and Shamsudheen has become one of the towering personalities in the Malayali diaspora in the UAE and is well known as an eminent entrepreneur, peerless financial advisor and stock market savant who has helped thousands of NRIs manage their savings judiciously, invest wisely and reap rich dividends. The founder and director of the prestigious Barjeel Geojit Financial Services in the UAE, he celebrated his golden jubilee as an expatriate on July 21 with a virtual ceremony in which the guest speakers included Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Chairman, Barjeel Geojit Financial Services, C J George, MD of Geojit Financial Services Ltd, and Dr Azad Moopan, MD of Aster DM Healthcare.
How it all began
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