Dubai: With just eight dollars (Dh29) in his pocket, a dream to succeed and his mother’s blessings, Dr. B.R. Shetty first set foot in Abu Dhabi on May 3 ,1973.

Many people know him, but for those who don’t, Dr. Shetty is the founder and chairman of New Medical Centre (NMC), as well as the ubiquitous UAE Exchange, Finablr, Neopharma and BRS Ventures.

He is a multi-billionaire non-resident Indian (NRI) who has dedicated a large part of his life building an empire of healthcare facilities and other companies in the country.

Forbes set his personal net worth at a whopping $4.2 billion in August 2018.

His first day in the UAE, however, was not without some major snags.