Al Aqili Furnishings managing director Mansour Khodjasteh scores 38th position in the Power 50. He tells Hotelier Middle East about how the company has grown, why people are so important and his billion-dirham dream

Please summarize your career background?

With an architectural discipline, I graduated from university in Lausanne, Switzerland. I started working with my father in his construction company in Iran at the tender age of 16. This year I celebrated 40 years in the industry.

Having encountered some unexpected obstacles in my previous business, I came to Dubai to find a solution, yet better still I found my partners to be. I immediately formed a strong working bond with Mohammed Saeed Al Aqili and Mohammed Saleh Al Aqili and today Al Aqili Furnishings is one of the biggest and best in the industry. We operate as a family with a strong moral and ethical code. I plan to dedicate the rest of my working years into Al Aqili Furnishings.

How long have you been in your current role?
I have been the managing director of Al Aqili Furnishings since we formed the company in January of 1997 – 12 years to be exact.

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What do you consider to be your greatest achievements in this post?
My greatest achievements are growing the company from a wholesale flooring provider with only six principals in 1997 to 57 principals in 2009, all of the principals exemplifying their pedigree by being the best in their respective industries.

Today we are recognised as industry leaders and respected by our peers. Most importantly, we still service many of the customers today that we did back in 1997. Not to mention, our growth reports, which in graph form look fictitious/fabricated.

We have gone from flooring being our core competency to being a complete interiors furnishings company representing some of the biggest and best brands in the world in flooring, lighting, technologies, and fabrics and thus offering complete turn-key solutions.

What impact has your company had on the Middle East’s hospitality sector?

We were pioneers in bringing an entirely different level of quality, service and installation to the region. We also brought a larger spectrum of products and greater variety of design and quality in order to service the interior designers and architects, especially in the hospitality sector.