Srinagar, Sep 18: From battling unemployment and financial uncertainty to navigating the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kashmiri engineer Qasim Afzal has had to overcome more than his share of setbacks. He chose to confront each challenge head-on, and today, his perseverance has taken his company to Sheikh Zayed Road, one of the prominent business corridors in the UAE.
From working on major infrastructure projects to navigating the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic and eventually building Atom Inspections, a property inspection and engineering consultancy, Afzal’s story is one of resilience, persistence and purpose.
“Sometimes, you have to leave home to truly serve it. I left Kashmir not to walk away, but to return one day with knowledge, experience, and the ability to create opportunities for others and make better generations,” Qasim says.
His professional journey began alongside his father, a government contractor involved in infrastructure and building projects. He later worked on the Delhi Metro project and the Riyadh Metro Bus Project with a Turkish contractor. Planning to return to Srinagar and build the family business, he resigned and moved home. But within a month, Article 370 was abrogated, prompting him and his father to make the difficult decision for him to leave again—this time for Dubai.
Qasim arrived in Dubai without a professional network, only to face another major challenge when the Covid-19 pandemic brought economic activity to a standstill. He spent five months without a job, and after finding employment, faced salary delays lasting more than a year. He says those experiences ultimately taught him resilience.
His entry into the property handover industry proved to be a turning point. Working on the developer’s side, he saw homeowners making one of the biggest investments of their lives while often lacking the technical support needed to ensure they received the quality they had paid for.
That experience led to a simple question: Why not fix the process instead of accepting it?
“That question became a vision. And that vision became Atom Inspections – built to bridge the gap between construction and customer confidence, ensuring every property owner receives the quality, transparency, and technical expertise they deserve,” he says.
From identifying a gap to building a business
Qasim says he chose property inspection because it was an area where his construction and project-delivery experience could directly address a real problem.
“I don’t believe in building a business in a field where I don’t have deep knowledge. I believe the best businesses are created by identifying real problems and providing the right solutions at the right time,” he says.
The early years were challenging, involving financial constraints, licensing requirements, the task of winning clients’ trust and competition from established businesses. Qasim says the company gradually built its reputation by focusing on technical excellence, integrity and putting clients first.
His original inspiration came from his experience during property handovers. At the time, he says, only a small proportion of homeowners appointed independent inspection companies. He observed that some inspection reports failed to adequately identify or technically explain defects, creating a gap between homeowners, inspectors and contractors.
Qasim believed an independent engineering consultancy could help bridge that gap by identifying defects, producing technically sound reports and guiding homeowners through the handover process.
Growing from a modest beginning
Atom Inspections began with what Qasim describes as a modest investment in essential inspection equipment, reporting systems, licensing and operations. The company reinvested its earnings into technology, its engineering team and customer experience.
Today, according to Qasim, the company has more than 100 professionals, including civil, structural, MEP, HVAC, facility management and building surveying specialists. It has completed more than 40,000 property inspections across the UAE, covering apartments, villas, luxury residences, commercial buildings, community assets, reserve fund studies, building condition audits and technical due diligence assignments.
The company has also undertaken large-scale assignments involving community transitions, reserve fund studies, asset registers, facility management audits, building condition assessments and technical due diligence for developers, owners’ associations, facility managers and institutional clients. Qasim lists DP World, Damac Properties, Beeah, LOAMS and Ajman Holding among its clients.
The company’s emphasis on detailed reporting and professional service is also reflected in customer reviews shared with the feature. Clients have praised Atom Inspections for its thorough inspections, clear reports, communication and support during snagging and handover processes.
Building on innovation
Qasim says Atom Inspections aims to go beyond conventional snagging services and position itself as a broader real estate engineering and property consultancy.
“We don’t see ourselves as just another snagging company. We are a comprehensive real estate engineering and property consultancy dedicated to improving quality, transparency, and confidence throughout the property lifecycle,” he says.
The company has introduced practical engineering approaches to its inspection processes, including golf-ball testing to assess floor and surface slopes. Qasim says such methods reflect its effort to improve inspection accuracy and raise industry standards.
“We don’t aim to compete on price; we aim to lead through innovation, technical excellence, and trust,” he says.
Keeping Kashmir at the heart of the journey
Despite building his business in Dubai, Qasim says Kashmir remains central to his long-term vision.
“Kashmir will always remain close to my heart. My long-term vision is to bring the knowledge, engineering standards, and professional practices developed in the UAE back to my home region,” he says.
He sees potential to improve construction quality, asset management and building lifecycle planning in Kashmir, while also planning expansion into other GCC countries and selected international markets.
The company also employs professionals from Kashmir and other backgrounds, with Qasim saying recruitment is based on competence, integrity, honesty and commitment to excellence.
For young entrepreneurs from Kashmir, his message is centred on purpose rather than money.
“Don’t start a business simply to make money. Instead, identify the gaps around you and dedicate yourself to solving real problems. When you create genuine value, success becomes a by-product of your work,” he says.
He also urges young entrepreneurs to remain grounded in their values, define meaningful goals and have the courage to create their own path.
A growing role for independent inspections
Qasim believes the rapid growth of Dubai’s real estate sector is making independent property inspections increasingly important. With rising off-plan sales, international investment and large residential developments, buyers are seeking independent technical experts to assess construction quality before taking possession. Developers, facility managers and owners’ associations are also placing greater emphasis on quality assurance, asset management and building condition assessments.
For Qasim, the journey from Kashmir to Dubai ultimately comes back to the same principle that inspired Atom Inspections: identify a genuine problem, build expertise around solving it and create value that extends beyond business.
“Sometimes, you have to leave home to truly serve it,” he says.
And for a Kashmiri entrepreneur who began his journey with little more than determination, the story of Atom Inspections continues to evolve—from a modest idea born out of a gap in the property handover process into a growing UAE-based engineering consultancy with ambitions that extend well beyond Dubai.
