By Mariam Nihal
Saudi Gazette
What do women want from love? For it to be ‘forever’. That’s all.
The desire struck a chord with a businessman who was listening and thought it was a great idea.
So he decided to give you the eternal symbol of love with the world’s longest lasting roses. The rose is something out of a fairytale, one could argue, but Al Samadi, a Kuwaiti-American, went on nonetheless to infuse romance with its favorite ‘forever’ theme. We caught up with the brilliant entrepreneur who came from nothing and is a proud self-made businessman, which is precisely the virtue worthy of admiration. Earlier a novelty only for royals, Al Samadi bought the family-owned company who initially designed these roses and decided to sell them to rich Arabs, where this sort of luxury made sense and well, a lot more money.
Derived from the mineral rich volcanic soils of Ecuador in South America, Forever Roses set themselves apart with their uniquely strong petals which grow up to ten times thicker and five times larger than any other blooms available on the market. Without the need for water or sunlight, the roses retain their striking natural beauty forever when protected in a glass dome. “Alongside our Forever Roses, we also supply our clients with a stunning range of freshly cut garden roses, alongside a range of other luxury gifting items such as Debailleul Belgium chocolates, exclusive in-house women’s and men’s fragrances and a stunning collection bespoke diamond jewelry, ‘Des Fleur’, inspired by the majestic rose,” Al Samadi told Saudi Gazette.
But Al Samadi always had a knack for selling especially since he started at the age of thirteen. “I am now 28-years-old and own my own a retail and hospitality company called Al Samdi Group, under which sit my pride and joy Forever Rose, a company which cements the notion of everlasting love for those passionate about romance and luxury. In addition to the companies I run, I also love to help others to build their own business and careers through consulting. Helping to inspire, guide and educate other is a privilege I cherish.”
Speaking about his journey and the structure of luxury retail, he said it all began with a trip to London. “I stumbled across an extremely expensive rose, and I came to find out that it was a rose which was said to live for many years. Therefore I decided to research the concept further and was totally captivated by the idea - so I decided to purchase the London-based company who was selling that rose. I wanted to turn this remarkable product it into a world class luxury retail experience in the Middle East, and since bringing Forever Rose to the UAE in 2014, we have poured our heart and soul into the company which has continued to grow at an unprecedented rate.” He believes the reason Forever Rose has been so successful in the Middle East is because it is by its very nature, an incredible concept. “Our clients love our products because they are designed around creating special moments which last a lifetime. We stop at nothing to deliver beautiful products for all manner of occasions - birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, graduations or sympathy - our passion comes from helping clients shape unforgettable memories through products which are unique, luxurious, of the very highest quality, and something to treasure forever.”
Al Samadi accomplished great success by the age of 20 and by the time he was 23, he decided to come back to the Middle East to explore his Arab heritage. “I was utterly inspired by the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which is why I chose Dubai as the headquarters Al Samadi Group.”
He has also been planning to enter the KSA market for the past five years. “In fact, ever since I set foot in Dubai, KSA has definitely been on my mind as we serve so many customers from KSA during their vacations in Dubai. However, I have learned that the KSA market is very complex and requires very strategic planning to find the best possible locations and logistics, so I am taking my time to ensure we make all the right decisions.”
“It will be my pride and joy to serve the Saudi nationals with our products and services. We believe KSA customers deserve the very best and we look forward to offering them exactly that. I am very fond of the country because I find that the people of KSA are very kind, respectful and gracious, and I feel a special connection to this part of the world as I have family heritage rooted in Makkah.”
A huge 80 percent of his audiences are women. “We are serving all age groups but our prime age group is between 18 and 35, and mostly comprised of GCC Nationals. We also serve Russians, Chinese, British, and many Europeans, there is a beautiful mix of nationalities catered to by Forever Rose and this is a big part of what we love about what we do. Essentially, anyone who loves flowers and beautiful rose inspired gifts is our potential customer and fan.” Al Samadi eyes Kuwait and KSA for future expansion.
He plans to open in Riyadh, Jeddah, Damman, Makkah and Madinah.
This month Forever Rose launched its rose-inspired Diamond jewelry collection, spicing up things for the luxury gifting range. Retailing between AED 4,000 - 6,000, the collection of diamond designs is inspired by the ever-enchanting rose, with the first release “Des Fleurs” in full Diamond and half Diamond, with a choice of yellow gold, white gold or rose gold settings.
Website: www.ForeverRose.AE
