Mohamed Yehia Zakaria

Mohamed Yehia Zakaria, born on May 10, 1938, is an Emirati businessman of Egyptian origin who is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the beverage industry in the Middle East. He co-founded Dubai Refreshments, the exclusive bottler and distributor of Pepsi in Dubai, playing a foundational role in institutionalizing the soft drink industry in the region.

He graduated from Cairo University with a bachelor's degree in Commerce before moving to Dubai in 1960 to seek professional opportunities and further education. He was later accepted to Michigan State University for an MBA.

Early in his career, he worked for the Government Accountancy Department in Egypt and was subsequently invited by the late Sultan bin Ali Al Owais, a prominent philanthropist and businessman in Dubai, to head the accounting for the Al Owais family business.

He was instrumental in negotiating with key regional partners, including Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, to make Dubai the first place in the Middle East to bottle and market Pepsi.

In 1974, together with Qais Bin Abdul Munaim Al Zawawi, then Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs of Oman, he helped establish the first soft drink manufacturing plant in Oman, where he served as founder and managing director until 2006.

He was also a founding member of the National Bank of Dubai in 1962, which later became Emirates NBD after a merger in 2009.

In 1980, he co-founded Jeema Mineral Water Company along with Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Sultan Al Owais. He is credited with introducing private labeling to the region in 1999. Under his leadership, Pepsi in Dubai captured a significant 70% market share with peak profits by 2000.

Mohamed Yehia Zakaria retired from active management in 2002 but retained substantial stakes in his established businesses in both Dubai and Oman.

Besides his beverage industry legacy, he currently manages an extensive real estate portfolio spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and maintains active investments in industries based in the UAE and Oman.

He married Shadia Shahwan in 1966, with whom he had four children who remain involved in managing family businesses and government enterprises in the UAE.