“The path to success is always in defying the odds,” a saying by the Lebanese entrepreneur (Youssef El-Kurdi), the founder and CEO of VIRTUE PROPERTIES, who holds a diploma in building management from the Property Management Association from Canada, in addition to more than Twenty years in the field of management, customer service and organizational leadership, which did not stop him from establishing a single company, but resulted in the development and establishment of four companies whose names rose to prominence in the land of the United Arab Emirates.
In our interview with him about his beginnings, Youssef El-Kurdi mentioned that his beginnings were not easy but not difficult, as he went on to move between many companies operating and different from the real estate sector, to search for the main engine to unleash himself and creativity with the work he offers, where El-Kurdi indicated: “Since I was young, I loved the field of real estate, and I always searched for information about real estate development, building management, construction, property and land, and curiosity made my life path split in this matter within my scientific studies.”
And he added:“Working in several companies did not suit my ambitions. Rather, it helped crystallize ideas, understand the markets well, and distinguish between appropriate services to achieve profits. When the interest in the real estate boom began in the Emirate of Dubai, we heard about the development of real estate construction and the advantage of free ownership for expatriates and investors, and I discovered It is time to achieve what I previously learned, I started by establishing VIRTUE PROPERTIES specialized in real estate development, and after the success achieved by the company in creating innovative projects, designing and choosing the best sites for construction and increasing the value of the investment, I headed to open HERMES REAL ESTATE company specialized in providing investment solutions and real estate consultancy And property management and residential, commercial and hotel ownership projects, and after being keen to provide distinguished services, maintain customers and gain the trust of new customers, I set out to establish PHANTOM House, the most famous luxury restaurant, which attracts the most important local and international stars and celebrities.To open a series of luxurious restaurants characterized by excellence and deviation from the norm in terms of presentations and high-end ambiance.”
El-Kurdi made it clear that he did not face any difficulties in investing, as the UAE helped to overcome difficulties through laws that stimulate investment, and that its clear conditions protect all parties.
In our question about the positives and negatives that came out of it after the Corona crisis, El-Kurdi replied: “Life sometimes imposes difficult circumstances on us that make us take practical measures to identify the problem and solve it in a short time instead of learning it theoretically for several years, and the global financial crisis was sufficient for that, and when it began The Corona crisis, we were able to pass this stage by gaining many customers and maintaining our cadres through a well-thought-out plan that ensures excellence in all our operations, full commitment to quality, creating trust and attention to the smallest details in the requirements of our customers.”
And El-Kurdi concluded: “Crisis is a school that teaches us the ability to continue and tests our challenges to get out with the least losses. Always challenging the odds.”
Zabeel 
Oud Mehta 
