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Burj Khalifa developer Mohamed Alabbar on why he prefers hiring Indians: ‘They answer the phone even at 1 am’
Mohamed Alabbar said what stands out most is the willingness of Indians to stay available and take responsibility, even outside regular work hours.
According to Alabbar, that level of dedication builds trust and makes Indian talent invaluable across industries.
Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties and the man behind landmarks like the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, has spoken highly of Indian professionals, calling them some of the hardest-working people in the world. Speaking at the ‘Make It in the Emirates’ summit, Alabbar said he prefers hiring Indians because of their reliability, discipline, and commitment to getting the job done.
He said what stands out most is their willingness to stay available and take responsibility, even outside regular work hours. According to him, that level of dedication builds trust and makes Indian talent invaluable across industries.
“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 quoted by Gulf News.
Alabbar stressed that success is not purely about being intelligent. In his view, consistent effort, attention to detail, and strong execution matter far more. He explained that hard work is not limited to spending long hours at the office; it also means carefully studying opportunities, understanding where to take risks, choosing the right people, and constantly tracking progress.
“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 spoke about leadership during difficult times, saying businesses must prepare themselves before crises strike. Drawing from experiences such as the 2008 financial crash and the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabbar said resilient and adaptable companies are the ones that survive uncertainty.
“When you learn from 2008 and from COVID, you have to build an agile and resilient business that can handle these circumstances,” he said.
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Born and raised in Old Dubai in government housing, Mohamed Alabbar went on to become one of the Arab world’s most influential entrepreneurs. According to Forbes, his estimated net worth is around $2.9 billion.
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