Mohammed bin Ali Al Abbar

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, born on November 8, 1956, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is an Emirati businessman widely recognized as the founder of Emaar Properties, the real estate development company behind some of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks, including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping and entertainment destination globally.

He is the eldest of 12 children, raised in the Rashidiya area of Dubai by a father who was a captain of a traditional dhow trading vessel, and his early life was marked by modest beginnings that shaped his entrepreneurial drive.

He pursued higher education in the United States, earning a degree in Business Administration from Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics in 1981, supported by a government scholarship during the 1970s.

Upon returning to the UAE, he began his career as a banking manager at the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates before taking on a pivotal role in Dubai’s economic transformation as the founding director general of the Department of Economic Development in 1992.

In this capacity, he developed a close working relationship with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, serving as one of his chief economic advisers and playing a key role in enhancing Dubai’s global reputation and tourism industry.

In 1997, he founded Emaar Properties, which rapidly became a driving force in Dubai’s urban development, overseeing landmark projects such as Dubai Marina, the world’s largest man-made marina, and the Dubai Opera, a premier cultural venue.

His vision extended beyond real estate, leading him to establish Eagle Hills, a private investment and real estate development company based in Abu Dhabi, with projects spanning multiple countries.

He also founded Noon.com, a major e-commerce platform aimed at competing with global giants like Amazon, and acquired the Americana Group, a leading food and beverage conglomerate managing franchises such as KFC and Pizza Hut across the Middle East.

He has maintained a significant presence in the fashion and luxury sectors, establishing RSH, a Singapore-based company specializing in international fashion brands, and acquiring stakes in YOOX Net-a-Porter through his investment vehicle, Alabbar Enterprises.

He is also the founder and chairman of Africa Middle East Resources (AMER), focused on infrastructure investment, and serves as chairman of Tradewinds Corporation, a Malaysian leisure and hospitality company. Among his ongoing projects is the Dubai Creek Tower, which he has described as being redesigned to embody a “Female Burj Khalifa,” symbolizing a new era in architectural ambition.

His leadership extends to financial innovation, as he is the chairman of Zand, Dubai’s first digital bank designed to serve both retail and corporate clients, reflecting his forward-looking approach to technology and finance.

He has received numerous accolades, including being named Middle East Personality of the Year by FDI magazine in 2010 and ranking among ‘The World’s Most Influential Arabs’.