UAE: Meet 86-year-old businessman, avid golfer for whom age is just a number

While most 86-year-olds may be reminiscing about their past, Asgar Shakoor Patel is busy setting new goals — in fitness and business. Featured in the international documentary on longevity ‘The Way to Yourself Long Life’ by Olga Sapozhnikova, the Indian entrepreneur, who built one of the largest logistics firms in the region, is proving that age is just a number. 

In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Patel shares his secrets to staying sharp, his journey from boardrooms to fairways, and why he refuses to slow down.

Patel begins each day with a structured routine that many half his age would struggle to keep up with. Guided by his Yoga instructor, he does Yoga and stretching 3-4 times a week and with the help of his assistant Jenilyn Calatero, he trains regularly in strength and cardio at his in-house gym, supplemented with aqua aerobics. His fitness regimen doesn't end there; Patel also hits the golf course every day for practice at the Montgomery Golf Club, which is almost an extension of his backyard in Dubai Meadows. “Golf is not just a sport - it’s a lesson in humility. No matter who you are, that small ball can bring you back down to earth,” he shared with a grin.

More than a game

For Patel, golf is more than just a game. He took it up in his fifties, intrigued by its humbling nature. “Whether you're a managing director, a chairman, or even Donald Trump, to hit that small ball is not easy. Golf teaches you that sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down, but you never give up,” he reflected.

Born in India, Patel was sent to Glasgow, Scotland at the age of eight, in the wake of civil unrest during Partition. His father, concerned for his safety, arranged for him to live with a Scottish family, the McCormicks, who welcomed him with open arms. "They were very nice people, and they looked after me," he recalls warmly. But life in post-war Glasgow was not easy - rationing was still in effect, and even the simplest pleasures required choices. "Everything was on ration. If you needed sweets, you had to buy sweets. You had a choice between sweets and chocolate," he says. "Sometimes you wanted sugar in your tea, you couldn’t have it. Sometimes you wanted butter, you couldn’t have that either."

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This forced frugality taught him lifelong lessons in discipline and decision-making. "It was good to have a sweet sometimes, you felt often like having a bar of Mars but you just couldn't have it. It's okay," he laughs, the nostalgia evident in his voice. Living with the McCormicks, the lady of the house ‘Aunty Greta’ taught him self-reliance at an unusually young age. "At eight, I had to get up myself, polish my shoes, get myself ready, get my clothes ready, and then dress myself and go. It was nothing great, but at that age, it was a learning exercise," he says. Even baths were rationed, relying on "throppins" a coin-operated system that would grant just enough hot water for a single bath.

After his formative years in Glasgow, Patel moved back to India, where his elder brother introduced him to the family business, manufacturing shoes, caps, umbrellas, and raincoats. His brother’s mentorship gave him his first taste of entrepreneurship, setting the stage for what was yet to come.

Star-crossed lovers

Patel’s journey with his late wife Betty, whose full name is Elizabeth Oliver, is nothing short of a Bollywood plot. He first saw her while hanging out with his friends in the neighbourhood, and it didn’t take long for him to become smitten. What began as a playful bet with friends - he would date her for ‘100 bucks’, evolved into a lifelong pursuit. 

Patel would strategically book seats behind her at the cinema, follow her to typing classes, and even endure strict oversight from her Catholic parents. His persistence paid off, but not without challenges. When his parents found out about their relationship, they cut him off financially, and Betty’s parents were furious. “She moved out of her family house after she started a job as an air hostess,” Patel explained. 

“She was beautiful, and all the pilots were after her, telling her ‘What do you want with this kid?’” But she waited until he was ready — at 21, Patel finally proposed, marking the beginning of a 60-year-long love story.

From lorry driver to business tycoon

Starting with a single truck, Patel's journey into business was driven by grit and necessity. With financial support cut off by his parents due to his relationship with Betty, he worked menial jobs, saved up, and eventually bought his first truck. His knack for logistics soon blossomed into Patel Roadways, one of India's largest logistics firms. He expanded into construction, glass manufacturing, and even shrimp exports, employing over 10,000 people across multiple industries.

His entrepreneurial spirit brought him to Dubai nearly 50 years ago. What started with selling construction materials and shrimp grew into a sprawling business empire, including Wall Street Exchange Centre, which he co-founded with Mohammed Al Laus and Sultan bin Sulayem. At its height, the company handled billions of dollars in remittances worldwide before Patel sold a majority stake to Emirates Post, cementing his legacy as a pioneer in the region’s financial services sector.

When Patel arrived in Dubai in the 1970s, the city was a mere shadow of its present self. "It was a desert," he recalls vividly. "There were hardly four or five hotels in the whole of Dubai." Yet, amidst the modest beginnings, he found himself in the company of remarkable leadership. "Sheikh Rashid was a very, very nice person—a thorough gentleman, a great leader, and a great businessman," Patel says. His encounters with Sheikh Rashid were surprisingly accessible, a testament to the simplicity of governance in those days. "If we had any problem, we did not have to write a letter. I have never written a letter to the government of Dubai. We just used to go there, meet them, and the job was done. It was reasonable; the job was done immediately, or he would make a telephone call and say, ‘Yes, issue this license, get the job done,’" he recounts.

It was this kind of direct access and visionary leadership that Patel credits as the backbone of Dubai's transformation. "Sheikh Rashid is one of the reasons for my success," he says matter-of-factly. "The vision of Dubai was very broad. When Sheikh Mohammed took over, things just started to explode." His eyes light up as he describes the transformation: "When I came to Dubai, there was only Al Nasr Square. There was no Emirates Golf Club. There was no Sheikh Zayed Road... it was just desert. When people told me they were going to make houses here, we said, ‘How would you make houses in the desert?’ But they did it."

Future goal: Learn to dance

Despite his athletic lifestyle, Patel is not done setting new goals. His next ambition? To master the art of dance. Inspired by the love of his life Betty, who was known for her grace on the dance floor, Patel says he regrets not learning earlier. “At the time I didn’t feel I needed to learn, maybe I did not have the time,” he said, recalling how Betty would charm guests at high-profile events. Now, with the help of Jenilyn, he’s ready to take up dance lessons. “I want to lead dances at official parties,” he adds with a twinkle in his eye.

Even at 86, Patel shows no sign of slowing down. His son Riaz is set to visit from New Zealand soon for business briefings, potentially stepping into his father’s shoes. Currently Riaz is leading the Group’s newly licensed advisory firms in New Zealand and Malaysia. From their base in Kuala Lumpur and with support operations in Thailand, they offer corporate finance, trade credit, and cross-border investment products.

But for Patel, there’s more to life than business. His eyes are set on mastering dance moves, hitting the perfect golf swing, and continuing his fitness routine with unwavering discipline. “Business never ends,” he said firmly. “You cannot end a business. It is lifelong. And so is living - if you do it with passion.”