A career setback during the Covid-19 pandemic was what motivated Zain Sohail to start thinking seriously about building something of his own. The 35-year-old Pakistani national started his career with a monthly pay of Dh2,500 ($680). As his income increased, Zain used the salary to save for and invest in an e-commerce gig. He started buying and selling home, kitchen and lifestyle products online. Zain calls that stage "experimental" as he learnt the ropes of the marketplace business.The pandemic was a reality check, Zain says. Being unemployed showed him that a job would not be the safety net that he had hoped for. In 2025, he was drawing Dh17,000 ($4,630) a month but faced yet another career transition – a nudge that helped him take on the business full time. The entrepreneur launched Xeller – a platform that supports online retailers to optimise sales and inventory on marketplaces such as Amazon and Noon. Zain combines his corporate experience in operations with his e-commerce skills to run Xeller, while also selling products under his own brands. Today, he draws Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 as a monthly salary from his business income, reinvesting and saving the rest.What was your first job and first salary?I moved to the UAE in 2013, shortly after graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from the National University of Science & Technology in Pakistan. I started as a tech...
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