A prominent Indian entrepreneur who worked in his Bur Dubai office well into his nineties passed away on Monday.
Maghanmal Pancholia, fondly known as Maghaba by friends, family and business associates, died at the age of 95.
His eldest son said his father started his day as always. He took a half hour walk in the morning and picked flowers to be sent to the Hindu temple in Bur Dubai.
He developed chest pain shortly after completing his last day at work, and passed away shortly after.
“I lost my father but he was also a father to so many in our community. He taught us a lot because of the simple life he led,” Dr Lalchand M Pancholia told The National.
One of the oldest Indian residents in the UAE, Mr Pancholia, who was the chairman of Arabian Trading Agency, lived in the Emirates for more than 70 years.
The charismatic businessman arrived in Sharjah in 1942 to join a family pearl business. But, shortly before his arrival, the industry was hit badly by the world recession of the 1930s.
In a 2017 interview with The National, Mr Pancholia said at that time it was adversity that forced residents to work together and create opportunities for themselves. It was that adversity that helped him to carve out a number of successful businesses.
Like many people, Mr Pancholia called the UAE home. But family members before him settled in the region in the 1800s. His father reached the Gulf in 1895 as a nine-year-old to join his own father, who first journeyed to the Gulf in 1860.