From legacy to leap: How MD Rohan Mehta is redefining Petrochem’s future

If you grew up in Dubai in the 90s, you might remember the era when businesses started from scratch — often in living rooms and spare bedrooms. For Rohan Mehta, managing director of Petrochem, those memories are personal. “We literally started in our apartment. I remember the first computer, my dad on the phone, my mum cooking for the team,” he says. “As an only child, I was always around the business — even on school holidays, I’d be in my dad’s office or travelling with him.”

Started in 1995, Petrochem’s story is rooted in the drive of its founder, Yogesh Mehta, who built it from a one-room office into a nearly $2bn chemical distribution powerhouse in Jebel Ali.

With Mehta taking a more prominent role after more than 12 years with the company, the goal isn’t to reinvent the wheel. “It’s about evolving, adapting to market changes, but keeping the DNA the same,” he says.

A grounded start before taking the reins

Despite the early exposure, Mehta didn’t step straight into the family business. Following his father’s advice — “take your time, this isn’t going anywhere” — he studied in Boston, then worked for a petrochemical manufacturer in Dallas. “That was two and a half years of seeing how complex manufacturing, from sourcing and production to market placement. It’s given me perspective on why certain ventures make sense and others don’t.”

By the time he returned to Dubai nearly a decade later, Petrochem had grown far beyond what he remembered. “My dad’s leadership and resilience have been a constant. Every day, it was ‘we’ve come this far, now we can go further.’ That mindset is ingrained here.”

Rather than rushing to make sweeping changes, Mehta has focused on sustaining Petrochem’s growth by building trust, nurturing teams, and adapting to new challenges.

Why Petrochem doubled down on distribution

Manufacturing was always an ambition, but market realities shifted the plan. “We can’t ignore the fact that China can produce and deliver at prices and speeds we can’t match locally,” Mehta  explains. “So we doubled down on distribution, in particular the service side. That’s where we have high barriers to entry and a real competitive edge.”

Petrochem’s core now is supplying industrial raw materials for everything from paints and inks to oil, fuel, and pharmaceuticals. The network stretches across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, and Egypt. “We grew with the region,” he says. “Our customers — ADNOC, SABIC, Aramco — trust us to handle their products and get them to end users efficiently. The plan is to deepen that presence in key markets such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and South Asia rather than overextend.”

Tech at the heart of the business

Petrochem may look like a traditional, asset-heavy operation, but technology has been central since day one. “We’ve always been big on tech — Oracle, SAP — long before it was standard,” Mehta says. The company now integrates AI and even builds in-house robotics to streamline operations. “Given our scale — 300 plus products, millions of metric tonnes — tech isn’t optional. Without it, we simply couldn’t operate.”

The commitment has made Petrochem a testing ground for global tech providers. “They come to us with pilots, and it’s a shortcut to learning what’s next globally.”

Keeping it human

For Mehta, success is as much about people as it is about profit. “The new generation isn’t joining just for a paycheck — they want to know what the company is doing for them,” he says. Petrochem has kept turnover low — 90 per cent of senior leaders have been there over 15 years — by building a strong family-like culture.

“Most company events are family events. My dad always included the team in our lives, and I keep that going,” he adds.

Much of Petrochem’s growth, Mehta acknowledges, is tied to the UAE’s leadership and infrastructure, which created the environment for the company to thrive.

A personal philosophy shaped by humility

Mehta is candid about the pressures of leadership. “It’s lonely at the top. I’m not here to grow into a $10bn company for the sake of it — I’m here to make sure we do well every year, sustainably.”

Outside work, golf and time with his children keep him grounded. “Golf teaches patience — my dad’s been telling me that for years. And my kids teach me something new every day.”

He also draws on lessons from his executive MBA at Harvard. “You realise everyone is dealing with the same challenges — legacy, growth, purpose. And you’re never self-made. Without your team, you won’t make it.”

As Petrochem moves forward, Mehta’s aim is clear — to keep the business strong, relevant, and ready for whatever comes next, without losing sight of the values it was built on. “We’ve been here for three decades. I want to make sure we’re still here, thriving, decades from now.”