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.
Mohamed Alabbar | |
|---|---|
محمد على العبار | |
 | |
| Born | November 8, 1956 Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| 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) |
| Website | mohamedalabbar |
In addition, Alabbar established Noon.com, an e-commerce platform,[3] and serves as the chairman of Americana Group, a food company.
Early life
editMohamed 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.[4]
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.[4] 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
editAfter college, Alabbar began his career with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates as a banking manager.[4] In 1992, Alabbar returned to Dubai and began working for the government as the founding director general of the Department of Economic Development.[4][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.[8][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
editAlabbar 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[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]
References
edit- ^ Stanley Reed (1 July 2007). "The Master Builder Of The Middle East". Business Week. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ Sonia Tita Puopolo (2 August 2007). "Mohamed Ali Alabbar: The Mover and Shaper of Dubai". Haute Living. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ Nagraj, Aarti (2019-12-19). "Noon founder Alabbar says Amazon 'should go back to Seattle'". Retrieved 2023-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e Stanley Reed (1 July 2007). "The Master Builder Of The Middle East". Business Week. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ Sonia Tita Puopolo (2 August 2007). "Mohamed Ali Alabbar: The Mover and Shaper of Dubai". Haute Living. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics" (PDF). Seattle University. 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ K.T. ABDURABB (13 June 2007). "Seattle University Honors Alabbar". Arab News. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ a b Dhanusha Gokulan (26 January 2014). "A look back into future of the Dubai Shopping Festival". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ Matthew Boyle (2007). "5 in Power Positions" Mohamed Bin Ali Alabbar". Forbes. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The 500 most powerful Arabs in the World". Arabian Business. 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Mohamed Alabbar | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". The Business of Fashion. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ Nagraj, Aarti (2016-11-28). "Dubai's Alabbar in $138.5m JV deal with luxury e-retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter". Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ "Emaar founder eyes Africa's commodity riches | Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ Awan, Tanvir (21 September 2023). "Dubai Creek Tower being redesigned: Mohamed Alabbar". Dubai Newsweek. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Emaar Malls AGM approves cash dividend of Dh1.3 billion". 19 April 2016 – via Emirates 24|7.
- ^ "Emaar Properties completes merger of Emaar Malls in Dubai's second big re-merger move in 2022". gulfnews.com. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ "Board of Directors: Mohamed Ali Rashid Alabbar". Al Salam Bank Bahrain. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Sharjah Ruler appoints Bodour Al Qasimi AUS's BoT chair". wam. 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ "Our Story - FII Institute Site". fii-institute.org. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ Sharma, Alkesh (2022-07-05). "Dubai digital bank Zand receives UAE Central Bank licence". The National. Retrieved 2023-09-02.