76 November 2013 www.bahrainthismonth.com Entrepreneur Adel Al Safar doesn’t believe in following the beaten track. When he launched his first business, Computer World, the year was 1984 and only a few large enterprises in Bahrain had computers. Twenty years later, when he opened a call centre in Bahrain, outsourcing hadn’t really arrived in the Kingdom. “We’ve always tried to remain unique and provide good service in whichever business we have operated,” says Adel, chairman of Al Safar Group (ASG). IT training and education have remained a passion for this computer science graduate. He has been a seed investor in the New Millennium School and DPS in Bahrain, exiting only after the institutions started operations. For the moment, his energies are directed towards opening another school in Dubai this year. In Bahrain, the group has invested in a British curriculum school which is scheduled to launch in September 2014. The 55-year-old credits his success to the team he has picked in various businesses. “I’m always willing to invest in passionate people with great ideas. If they understand something well, you can always create the right processes and the right platform around it,” he says. In the domain of food and beverage the group has been, predictably, picky with investment decisions. ASG holds the GCC franchise for Rainforest restaurants and the first US$10 million outlet has garnered awards in its first year of operation in Dubai. “It’s a novel concept with thundershowers, lightning and moving animals, which requires at least a 1,000-square-metre space within a mall. We’re having difficulty finding that kind of space in Bahrain,” he notes. “Our franchise of American burger chain EZ Burger will be rolled across the GCC next year. We currently have four outlets in the Kingdom in Arad, Juffair, Riffa and Saar.” In the coming months, Adel plans to introduce another US chain in Bahrain, the Sushi Concept, where customers will be able to choose ingredients from a salad bar and have sushi rolled up in front of them. The group is a first generation business that Adel started with a BD3,000 loan from his father. He remembers telling himself that he’d have to offer something different if he were to survive the ‘big sharks’ of those days. “That’s when we got the Microsoft certification for our training institute. Gradually, we expanded the business to include hardware support, software and cleaning services,” he says. “Once the business stabilised, I made sure I returned my father’s loan!” Adel also has an active real estate arm but, again, he hasn’t taken the usual route of building high-end properties for speculative purposes. He has chosen to concentrate on the mid-segment market for Bahrainis, which he believes holds adequate potential. The company is offering two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments for sale in Sanad and Jid Ali at prices ranging from BD40,000 to BD70,000. “We want to be fair and honest with our customers. As long as we’re making a reasonable margin, we’re happy to serve the genuine demand in Bahrain and contribute to the Kingdom’s growth,” he says. SIMI KAMBOJ An innovative approach has been the mainstay of this local business group as they approach their 30th anniversary of operations in the Kingdom. businessinterview xxxxx We want to be fair and honest with our customers. As long as we’re making a reasonable margin, we’re happy to serve the genuine demand in Bahrain and contribute to the Kingdom’s growth Adel Al Safar New Dimensions
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