Abdulla Al Ghurair

Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair (Arabic: عبد الله الغرير; born c. 1930) is an Emirati billionaire businessman, the founder and chairman of Mashreqbank, an Emirati bank.[2]

Abdulla Al Ghurair
Born1929 or 1930 (age 93–94)[1]
NationalityEmirati
Occupation(s)Founder and chairman, Mashreqbank
SpouseMarried
Children4, including Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair
RelativesSaif Ahmad Al Ghurair (brother)

Early life and career

Al Ghurair is a member of a prominent Emirati business family. His brother Saif Ahmad Al Ghurair (1924-2019), was a fellow billionaire and head of the Al Ghurair Group.[3]

In 1967, Ghurair founded Mashreqbank.[4] In October 2019 he stepped down as Chairman, but remained as a board member.[2][5] Under the Jenan brand, his company Al Ghurair Food sold pasta.[4]

His construction company was involved in building the Dubai Metro. It is also the constructor of the exterior cladding of the world´s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.[4][2]

Ghurair was considered to be the richest person in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the 809th richest in the world as of 17 February 2021.[6]

According to Forbes, Al Ghurair has a net worth of $3.1 billion as of January 2022.[2][5]

In 1975, Oman Insurance was launched by Abdullah Al Ghurair.[7] On 06 October 2022, Oman Insurance has rebranded to Sukoon.[7][8]

Philanthropy

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation

Before the foundation was founded in 2015, Al Ghurair was a supporter of the development of the educational sector in the UAE, where he built several schools in the early 1960's. The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) is a non-profit, philanthropic organization dedicated to provide educational opportunities to students in the Arab region.[9][10]

In June 2021, AGF announced the launch of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning. This will be a partnership with the American University of Beirut (AUB) and be based out of the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (MSFEA) providing improved access to online education to thousands of Arab students across the region.[10]

Personal life

Al Ghurair lives in Dubai. He is married, with four children.[1] His son Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair is CEO of Mashreqbank and chairman of Al Ghurair Investment.[3]

Awards

Ghurair was appointed the first Goodwill Ambassador for education in the Arab world in 2016 by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).[11][12][13]

References
  1. "Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Abdullah Al Ghurair". Bloomberg LP. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. "#1111 Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family". Forbes. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. "Forbes profile: Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family". Forbes. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. "#413 Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family". Forbes. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. "Top 10 Richest Arabs In 2021". Al Bawaba. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. Cleofe Maceda (17 February 2021). "Fortunes of the richest billionaires in the UAE decline as COVID-19 hits businesses". Zawya. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. Ahmed, Zubina (7 October 2022). "Oman Insurance unveils new corporate logo, rebrands as Sukoon". Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  8. "Oman Insurance rebrands as Sukoon". Gulf News. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  9. "Education for Elevated Livelihoods". Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  10. "The Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning launches in partnership with the American University of Beirut". Zawya. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  11. "Education for Elevated Livelihoods". Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  12. "Abdullah Al Ghurair named goodwill ambassador for education". Gulf News. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  13. "Abdulla Ahmed Al Ghurair appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Education for the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Science Organization (ALECSO)". Mashreqbank. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2022.


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