(January 22, 2026) When Surender Singh Kandhari arrived in Dubai 50 years ago, the city was still finding its feet. Its roads were sparse, its skyline low, its ambitions vast but largely unwritten. He did not arrive with certainty but conviction. Over the next five decades, his life would come to mirror the city’s own transformation, marked by stability, values-driven growth, and expansive ambition. Surender Singh Kandhari evolved as an industrialist and philanthropist alongside Dubai itself.
He is the founder and chairman of Al Dobowi Group, a globally renowned provider of systems and solutions across various industries. Starting in Dubai, today the enterprise functions across more than 10 countries. The group contract-manufactures its own tyres in some of the largest tyre plants in Asia and is the largest battery manufacturer in the MENA region, offering both automotive and industrial solutions.
Kandhari is also the driving force behind the Middle East’s first official Sikh gurudwara, a prolific author whose books explore tolerance and spiritual inquiry, and an avid golfer who is a founding member of the Emirates Golf Club. As a philanthropist, his approach to giving prioritises dignity, continuity, and self-sustaining impact.
Looking back, the industrialist does not describe success in terms of milestones or numbers. “True success is not measured by wealth alone, but by the impact one creates and the values one upholds,” he tells Global Indian. It is a belief that threads through his work as an entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and author, and has defined his standing as a respected member of Dubai’s business community and the Indian diaspora after five decades in UAE. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Award) in 2019.
Surender Singh Kandhari was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by President Ram Nath Kovind
Early grounding, enduring values
The industrialist was born and raised in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. “It was an environment that valued discipline, education, and social responsibility,” he shares. Those formative years instilled in him a strong sense of accountability towards work, people, and the wider community. His higher education at Loyola College, Madras further expanded his outlook, shaping what he describes as his worldview and leadership approach.
That grounding would prove critical when he moved to Dubai in 1976, at a time when the UAE itself was still in its early years; open to enterprise, but demanding credibility above all else.
Learning to belong before learning to build
Relocating to Dubai as a first-generation entrepreneur meant far more than adapting to a new market. It required learning how trust was earned in a place far removed from familiar systems. “The biggest shift was learning to build trust in an entirely new land, far away from familiar systems, networks, and comforts,” Kandhari recalls. “When I arrived in Dubai in 1976, the UAE was a young nation with immense vision and opportunity, but success depended entirely on credibility, hard work, and perseverance.”
There were no shortcuts. “I had to start from the ground up, earning respect through honest business practices, long-term commitment, and alignment with the country’s values,” he says. Over time, that consistency laid the foundation for a business that would grow steadily.
The name Al Dobowi, meaning “the man from Dubai,” was given to him by Dubai Municipality. It’s a name he adopted for his venture. Reflecting on those early years, Kandhari says, “Experience taught me that resilience, patience, and humility are far more important than speed or scale in building something meaningful.”
Surender Singh Kandhari with Emirati royal and politician HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
Al Dobowi: Growing with the city
Founded in 1976, Al Dobowi gradually expanded into a unified corporate enterprise in the tyre management, power storage, industrial rubber, material handling, and fluid management industries. “For me, success means being able to give back to society, to uplift others, and to remain grounded regardless of achievement,” he says. As a first-generation entrepreneur who built his life alongside the UAE’s own growth, he believes prosperity carries an obligation to people, to community, and to the country that enabled that growth.
Sewa as practice
Central to Kandhari’s worldview is sewa (selfless service). “Sewa is not an act, it is a lifelong commitment to society,” he explains. “It is about earning respect through service rather than seeking entitlement and about becoming a bridge between cultures while remaining firmly rooted in one’s identity.”
This belief found its most visible expression in the creation of the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple in Dubai, today one of the most visited places of worship in the city. The idea traces back to childhood, when decades ago his grandfather told the then eight-year-old Surender Singh Kandhari that one day he too must help build a Gurudwara. Years later, he fulfilled that vision of his grandfather.
As Dubai’s Sikh community expanded, the need for a dedicated centre of worship became increasingly clear. “A Gurudwara is not just the house of God for us,” Kandhari says. “It is the life force that ties the whole Sikh community together.”
After years of sustained effort, land was granted in Jebel Ali by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Built over five years through community funding, the Guru Nanak Darbar was inaugurated in 2012. Spanning over 100,000 square feet, it has served more than 40,000 worshippers in a single day and offers free meals to all, regardless of faith or background. During the pandemic, the institution adapted to continue food distribution, reinforcing its role as both a spiritual and humanitarian anchor. “When service becomes a way of life, success acquires a deeper and more enduring meaning,” Kandhari reflects.
Surender Singh Kandhari with PM Modi
Giving that sustains itself
Beyond religious institutions, Kandhari’s philanthropy focuses on education and long-term empowerment. He supports orphaned children through sustained educational funding, backs institutions for young girls that function as both schools and shelters, and champions a model of giving designed to multiply itself.
Beneficiaries are encouraged, once independent, to support others in need, creating a cycle of responsibility rather than dependence. “It is about earning respect through service rather than seeking entitlement,” he reiterates.
Writing as reflection
Writing, too, emerged from reflection rather than ambition. “Writing has always been a deeply personal extension of my journey,” Kandhari says. His autobiography, The Temple of My Dreams, captures his personal, professional, and spiritual evolution, going beyond the creation of the gurudwara to explore his life as a first-generation entrepreneur in the UAE.
Subsequent books—Lighthouse of Tolerance, ONE – The Spiritual Search, Reflections 101, and SEWA – The Road to Salvation examine pluralism, inner awareness, leadership, and service. Though varied in form, they are united, as he says, by “the belief that purpose, service, and values-driven living are the true measures of a meaningful life.”
The legacy of contributing more than consuming
When asked what legacy he hopes the Indian diaspora in the UAE will be remembered for, Kandhari says, “I hope the Indian diaspora in the UAE will be remembered as a community that contributed more than it consumed. It should be known for hard work, humility, service, and loyalty to the nation it calls home.”
Beyond economic contribution, he believes the legacy should be one of humanity, harmony, and positive social impact, where Indians are seen as builders of bridges between cultures, faiths, and communities. “If future generations remember us as people who strengthened the UAE’s spirit of coexistence while remaining rooted in our own values, that would be a legacy worth leaving behind.”
After 50 years in Dubai, Surender Singh Kandhari’s life stands as a study in alignment between values and action, ambition and restraint, success and service. He did not simply grow in the city. He grew with it, shaping and being shaped by a place where coexistence is not an idea, but a lived reality.
- Follow Surender Singh Kandahari on LinkedIn
ALSO READ: How Mohnish Pabrai applies Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger’s principles for extraordinary success
