A VISION BUILT ON DETAIL

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Ravi Menon, Chairman of Sobha Group and Mr. Anuj Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Sobha Furniture.

Ravi, as the chairman of Sobha Group and the titan in the real estate market, can you share your journey and experience with us and how has it been for you so far?

For me, the journey has been both deeply personal and professionally gratifying. Although I relocated to Dubai only three years back, Sobha Group’s foundation in the UAE was laid long before my move. Since then, particularly post-2020, it has been nothing short of exceptional. Year on year, our business has seen sustained growth and our sales performance is tracking ahead well, cementing our vision of becoming a global benchmark for world-class real estate.

We also recently expanded into Umm Al Quwain with two new projects and are preparing to enter the Abu Dhabi market as part of our long-term strategy to build a diversified UAE-wide portfolio valued at approximately USD8 billion. Overall, it has been an extraordinary journey, but for Sobha Group, this is just the beginning.

How are you competing with other brands in the market, especially when it comes to UAE? And what makes you one step ahead?

At Sobha, we stand out in the market because of our ‘Backward Integration’ model. Our model is fundamentally distinct because we are one of the very few developers globally who have a fully backward integrated model, which is extremely rare in our industry, where most developers limit themselves to land acquisition, sales, and outsourced execution. This means that from concept to design to final delivery, every stage is managed in-house, ensuring that all projects are integrated with the highest standards of quality that Sobha Group is known for. This also helps us reduce dependencies on external suppliers, providing us with stronger control over quality, delivery timelines, and execution.

What also makes us unique is the culture we have built over the decades. The Group is driven by my father’s legacy and passion for design, passion for construction, and passion for continuous improvement. The moment we complete a project; we are already thinking about how we can raise the benchmark for the next one. That mindset keeps the entire organization’s future focused.

Now with Sobha Furniture, this entire project marks a new milestone. What does this launch mean for the brand? And for Sobha Realty as a whole?

Sobha Furniture is not the beginning of something new; it is the return to where it all began. In fact, 50 years ago, when my father started his entrepreneurial journey, it started with interior decoration. For him, he has always been extremely passionate about the art of details and accuracy, within a millimetre precision.

From the outset, our philosophy has always been simple – to invest in the best of machinery, technology, and talent. This mix has allowed us to maintain a standard of quality that is non-negotiable in our business. We understand that a home is a very personal space and when we decided to launch Sobha Furniture, we were very mindful of the pinch points that customers face and wanted to create a business that sets a new benchmark for large-scale, design-led furniture manufacturing — Made in the UAE, for the world.

There has long been a gap between design ambition and furniture manufacturing capability in this region, and Sobha Furniture shall be bridging that gap. What this launch ultimately signifies is the formalization of something that has always been intrinsic to Sobha Group: design excellence, engineering precision, and a culture of co-creation. With ‘The Gallery’ and our expanded manufacturing capabilities, we now have a space where clients can experience our craft firsthand, collaborate with our teams, and shape pieces that reflect their exact vision.

Our business approach follows the same philosophy to build a unique fully integrated ecosystem that is capable of handling everything under one roof. And furniture is also part of that. When I say furniture, the cabinets, the kitchen cabinets, the wardrobes, the bathrooms, everything. So, every apartment that we have delivered in this market reflects these capabilities.

Mr. Anuj Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Sobha Furniture Insights:

Furniture has always been part of the game, and we’re just giving light to the vision of what Mr. PNC Menon has. So right now, this is a B2B co-creating space. We’ll soon be catering to B2C audience as well.

We will have a lot of offerings for the end customer as well as the B2B partners and developers and designers in the upcoming coming years.

So Mr. Anuj, how does The Gallery embody the direction and the future of Sobha Furniture as a brand, especially when it comes to showcasing the replica projects here that is showcased, the walk-in closets and materials and finishings?

The Gallery is a preview into what our vision for Sobha Furniture is. We did not want to create a traditional setup, which is why we have designed this as a working space for architects, interior designers, developers, and project partners rather than just a retail showroom. Every space has been thoughtfully curated to embody our outlook to connect, collaborate, and co-create with the community and showcases our passion for being partners from start to finish.

Designed as fully functional spaces, each of our mock-up areas serve a specific purpose and gives customers a deep insight into our design concepts, materials, finishes, and overall approach to furniture manufacturing. This is the first step to fulfilling our mission to set the foundation of a new standard and deliver projects that will showcase the precision and exceptional quality that Sobha is known for.

Mr. Ravi, looking towards the future, let’s say in the next 20 years ahead, what plans are looking forward to?

The industry we work in is very dynamic; it pushes us every day to ensure that our long-term direction is clear. Sobha Furniture is a brand rooted in legacy – one that we envision to be Made in the UAE for the world. Setting up our foundation here has given us unparalleled access to infrastructure, connectivity, talent, and an overall ecosystem that has set us up for success on the scale we are aiming for.

One of our immediate priorities is the launch of our flagship factory in Dubai Industrial City. It is an enormous, 53,000 sqm facility that will house the best-in-class full automated machinery and will bring an integrated approach to furniture manufacturing with everything from foaming to cutting, stitching, framing and upholstery.

As part of our strategic expansion, we are looking to establish our presence in key international markets. In fact, we have already shortlisted three potential properties in the US market and are also exploring the potential of entering the Australian market. 20 years is a long time, but we are steadfast in our commitment of building on a scale with exceptional quality that has not been seen in the region before.