Mr Muhammad Tahir Lakhani, who is also known as Tahir Lakhani, was born on 27th April 1962. He was born in Karachi in Pakistan, and at present, he is a big shot in the shipping industry. You might already be aware of the fact that Tahir is also a member of Propeller Club in the United States. He is also the Chairman & MD of the company named Dubai Trading Agency LLC. This company was incepted in Dubai by Tahir, and the company is majorly into the business of recycling the ships.
Tahir Lakhani was born in a very influential family, but he never underestimated the power of hard work. He always worked passionately to ensure the success of his company DTA. It was always his dream to make his presence felt across the globe, and he is undoubtedly able to reach that point. DTA is very popular for maritime trade & logistics in the international market. Until 2019, Tahir Lakhani was also the Vice President of UAE Shipping Association. He represented Dubai over there.
Professional Career of Tahir Lakhani
Since an early age, Tahir had been fond of ships. Because of his interest in ships, Tahir Lakhani decided to make a career in the shipping industry. It was not long before he decided to explore the domain. When he was in his 20s, he got a job to work at the ship recycling yard. The yard belonged to his close friend, and he happily took the job. He worked a 12 hour shift, and he worked at that yard for three years. It is known that Tahir was known for remarkable performance at the shipyard, and his seniors appreciated him for his passion and hard work. During those days, Tahir used to supervise the operations wherein the thick steel plates were cut with the help of gas cutters. The dismantled plates were then sold to traders who were available on the site.
Muhammad Tahir Lakhani gained a lot of knowledge there, and because of this, he also gained a lot of confidence. His confidence then propelled him to move ahead and take the next big step. This was the time when Tahir chose to move to Dubai. Eventually, Dubai became his destination to start the business. Later in 1985, Tahir started buying ships and then he used to sell them directly to the recycling yards. He earned a commission with the trade, and it is known that Tahir was the first cash buyer in UAE. It certainly took a lot of courage and wisdom to operate this model. In the next 12 years, his company grew, and it gained global recognition. Tahir was soon known to be the world’s biggest cash buyer. In a year, Tahir started buying and selling as many as 100 ships. The task is not only tricky, but it was almost impossible to accomplish these numbers. These numbers kept on growing every year.
It is known that in 1996, Tahir purchased three ex-Adriatic Tankers outside of UAE and those tankers were then delivered to the shipyard in Pakistan. It was the biggest single deal that Tahir made. In 1999, Tahir and his family migrated to the United Kingdom, and they started building their business in the UK. Now, Tahir also has a very successful business in the UK, and it certainly took a considerable amount of efforts to build a successful business in London.
As per the records, in 2009, Tahir received a British Citizenship, but he along with his son Ali travels frequently to UAE for their business. Over the years, Tahir and Ali have expanded their business in scale as well as volumes. At present, Tahir lives in Dubai, whereas his son operates from London.
Major Achievements of Tahir
As mentioned earlier, Tahir had been a member of the Propeller Club of United States. He was also a member of this club in Port of Monaco. Apart from this, Tahir had been seen promoting UAE in the international maritime trade. He understands the importance of the city, and that is the reason why it is very close to Dubai Maritime City.
Sports & Tahir
It is well-known that Tahir was representing Pakistan at one of the Davis Cup. Since he is fond of sports, he is seen as a guest in many tennis matches. He not only likes to watch Tennis but he also plays Tennis. He plays it very well, and this is the reason why he got a chance to represent his country at an international level. Tahir also played Junior Wimbledon, and it is undoubtedly an outstanding achievement for him.