Mohamed Alabbar Explained

Birth Date:8 November 1956
Birth Place:Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nationality:Emirati
Native Name:محمد على العبار
Native Name Lang:ar-ae
Other Names:Hamdan kajoor
Education:Seattle University (1981)[1] [2]
Occupation:Businessman
Known For:Emaar Properties
Eagle Hills Properties
Children:7 (Rashed Alabbar, Salama Al Abbar, Shamsa Al Abbar, Mouza Al Abbar, Ali Alabbar, Noor Alabbar, Haya Alabbar)

Mohamed Ali Alabbar (Arabic: محمد على العبار; born November 8, 1956) is an Emirati businessman known for founding Emaar Properties, a real estate development company involved in projects such as the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. He is also the founder and chairman of Eagle Hills, a private investment and real estate development company based in Abu Dhabi.

In addition, Alabbar established Noon.com, an e-commerce platform,[3] and serves as the chairman of Americana Group, a food company.

Early life

Mohamed Alabbar was born on November 8, 1956, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the eldest of 12 children.[4] His father was the captain of a traditional trading vessel known as a dhow and raised his children in the Rashidiya area of Dubai.

In the 1970s, Alabbar received a government scholarship to study finance and business administration from The Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. Alabbar graduated from Seattle University in 1981 with a degree in Business Administration.[5] He also received an honorary doctoral degree in humanities from his alma mater in 2007 and served on its Board of Trustees until 2016.[6] [7]

Career

After college, Alabbar began his career with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates as a banking manager. In 1992, Alabbar returned to Dubai and began working for the government as the founding director general of the Department of Economic Development (DED).[8]

During his career, Alabbar' established a close relationship with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, where he later became one of Sheikh Mohammed's chief economic advisers.[9] [10] Alabbar worked with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to improve the development and growth of both Dubai's tourism industry and global reputation.[11]

He has overseen the expansion of Emaar Properties into various sectors including residential, retail, and hospitality. Alabbar also established RSH, a Singapore-based company specializing in marketing, distributing, and retailing international fashion brands, where he continues to be a significant shareholder.[12]

Through his company, Alabbar Enterprises, he acquired stakes in luxury fashion retailer YOOX Net-a-Porter.[13] Additionally, he is the founder and chairman of Africa Middle East Resources (AMER) and serves as the chairman of Tradewinds Corporation, a Malaysian company focused on leisure and hospitality.[14]

Mohamed Alabbar is also involved in the construction of Dubai Creek Tower. In a major update, he has said that Dubai Creek Tower, which was supposed to be the world’s tallest tower, is now being redesigned as ‘Female Burj Khalifa.’[15]

Board memberships

Alabbar chairs Eagle Hills, a UAE-based real estate development company. He served on the board of Emaar Malls until 2021 when the company merged with Emaar Properties.[16] [17] Alabbar also sits on the board of Noor Investment Group, an affiliate of Dubai Group.[18] He is on the board of trustees of the American University of Sharjah (AUS)[19] and the FII Institute in the KSA.[20] He is also the Chairman of Zand, Dubai's first digital bank that aims to cater to retail and corporate clients.[21]

Notes and References

  1. The Master Builder Of The Middle East. https://web.archive.org/web/20120814194740/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-07-01/the-master-builder-of-the-middle-east. dead. August 14, 2012. Stanley Reed. 1 July 2007. Business Week. 16 September 2014.
  2. Mohamed Ali Alabbar: The Mover and Shaper of Dubai. Sonia Tita Puopolo. 2 August 2007. Haute Living. 16 September 2014.
  3. Web site: Nagraj . Aarti . 2019-12-19 . Noon founder Alabbar says Amazon 'should go back to Seattle' . 2023-09-02 . en-US.
  4. The Master Builder Of The Middle East. https://web.archive.org/web/20120814194740/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-07-01/the-master-builder-of-the-middle-east. dead. August 14, 2012. Stanley Reed. 1 July 2007. Business Week. 16 September 2014.
  5. Mohamed Ali Alabbar: The Mover and Shaper of Dubai. Sonia Tita Puopolo. 2 August 2007. Haute Living. 16 September 2014.
  6. Web site: 2010 . Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics . 16 September 2014 . Seattle University.
  7. News: K.T. ABDURABB . 13 June 2007 . Seattle University Honors Alabbar . 16 September 2014 . Arab News.
  8. News: Dhanusha Gokulan . 26 January 2014 . A look back into future of the Dubai Shopping Festival . 17 September 2014 . Khaleej Times.
  9. Matthew Boyle . 2007 . 5 in Power Positions" Mohamed Bin Ali Alabbar . Forbes . 17 September 2014.
  10. Rick Reilly . 1995 . Going For The Green Huge Appearance Fees Lured Six Of The Globe's Top Golfers To A Tournament In Dubai . Sports Illustrated.
  11. 2013 . The 500 most powerful Arabs in the World . Arabian Business . 17 September 2014.
  12. Web site: Mohamed Alabbar BoF 500 The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry . 2023-09-03 . The Business of Fashion . 20 September 2018 . en-GB.
  13. Web site: Nagraj . Aarti . 2016-11-28 . Dubai's Alabbar in $138.5m JV deal with luxury e-retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter . 2023-09-03 . en-US.
  14. Web site: Emaar founder eyes Africa's commodity riches Financial Times . 2023-09-03 . www.ft.com.
  15. Web site: Awan . Tanvir . 21 September 2023 . Dubai Creek Tower being redesigned: Mohamed Alabbar . 19 February 2024 . Dubai Newsweek.
  16. News: Emaar Malls AGM approves cash dividend of Dh1.3 billion . 19 April 2016 . Emirates 247.
  17. Web site: 2021-11-22 . Emaar Properties completes merger of Emaar Malls in Dubai's second big re-merger move in 2022 . 2023-09-03 . gulfnews.com . en.
  18. Web site: 14 March 2013 . Board of Directors: Mohamed Ali Rashid Alabbar . 17 September 2014 . Al Salam Bank Bahrain.
  19. Web site: 2023-10-08 . Sharjah Ruler appoints Bodour Al Qasimi AUS's BoT chair . 2023-09-03 . wam.
  20. Web site: 2022-05-23 . Our Story - FII Institute Site . 2023-09-03 . fii-institute.org . en-US.
  21. Web site: Sharma . Alkesh . 2022-07-05 . Dubai digital bank Zand receives UAE Central Bank licence . 2023-09-02 . The National . en.