Saud Bahwan (Mohammed Saud Bahwan) (born 1938/39) is an Omani billionaire businessman. [1]

Mohammed Saud Bahwan
Born1938 or 1939 (age 85–86)
NationalityOmani
Occupationbusinessman
Known forOwner, Saud Bahwan Group
Spousemarried
Children15
Websitewww.saudbahwangroup.com

Early life and career

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Bahwan began as a small-scale trader in Sur, with one dhow, inherited from his father, doing business between Oman and India.[2] In 1965, he moved to the capital, Muscat and opened a shop in the Muttrah Souq with his brother Saud, named Suhail & Saud Bahwan,[3] initially they traded in construction equipment and fishing nets.[2]

In 1968, he obtained the local license for Seiko, and then one for Toyota.[2]

The Saud Bahwan Group is now the largest privately owned business in Oman, with diverse business interests including fertilizers, healthcare, construction and automobiles.[2]

In 2002, he split with his brother, and as a result, the Saud Bahwan was divided into two groups.[4][5]

In 2016, Bahwan passed much of the responsibility for running the Saud Bahwan Group to Mohammed Nasser, his sixth child, and Amal Bahwan,[5] his second-eldest daughter.[6] In 2021, he was the only Omani on Forbes' annual World's Billionaires ranking.[7]

During April 2022, the French prosecutor's office in Nanterre issued an international arrest warrant for Bahwan, along with former Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn following an investigation into whether they helped divert funds from carmaker Renault to its former chair and chief executive for personal use.[8] In 2022, his fortune supposedly dropped by $600 million.[9]

Awards

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  • 2017: Sheikh Issa bin Ali al Khalifa Award for voluntary work by the Arab League[10]

Personal life

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Bahwan is married with 15 children, and lives in Muscat, Oman.[2][6]

References

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  1. ^ "Saud Bahwan". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Forbes profile: Saud Bahwan". Forbes. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  3. ^ Heritage & Ownership BIGH
  4. ^ Bahwan brothers divide their empire Gulf News
  5. ^ a b Mohammed Saud Bhawan Gulf Business
  6. ^ a b Wendel, Samuel (11 April 2017). "From Humble Beginnings, Mohammed Saud Bhawan Became A Billionaire In Oman". Forbes. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Forbes list-Omani businessman Suhail Bahwan among world's richest Arabs". Times of Oman. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  8. ^ White, Sarah (April 22, 2022). "French prosecutors issue arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn". Financial Times. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Topped by Sawiris, Arab billionaires exposed to huge losses in 2022: Forbes". Egypt Independent. 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  10. ^ Newspaper, Muscat Daily. "Mohammed Saud Bhawan receives Arab League award for voluntary work - Oman". Muscat Daily News. Retrieved 2018-09-25.