Dubai Ports World, Jebelali, Dubai

Working out of Mhatvali in Nagaon, over in the Uran area of Navi Mumbai, is a different kind of experience. It’s very industrial around here, which makes sense for what we do. Dubai Ports World, Jebelali, Dubai is the name on the door, but we are the ones here on the ground in 400702. The air always smells like the sea and heavy machinery. We spend a lot of our time looking at the containers stacked up like giant blocks. It’s a busy place with a lot of noise—trucks reversing, cranes moving, and people shouting to be heard over the wind. Our office is more of a practical space than anything else. We have big maps and schedules taped to the walls. It’s not very polished; the floors are concrete and the furniture is built to last, not to look good. We drink a lot of strong tea to keep going through the shifts. It’s a long way from the fancy parts of Mumbai, but this is where the real work happens. We don't have time for corporate talk or long meetings about goals. We just need to make sure the ships get loaded and the trucks get out of the gate. It’s a rough environment sometimes, especially when it rains, but the people here are good and they know their jobs. We just keep our heads down and get through the day's list of tasks. It’s a lot of work but someone has to do it. We've been at this address for years.