| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair |
| Other Name | H.E. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair |
| Profession(s) | • Politician • Businessman |
| Known For | • Being the chairman of Mashreq Bank • Being the director of the Abdullah Al Ghurair Group |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Career | |
| Awards, Honours | • Best CEO Award from the CEO Middle East magazine (2008) • Lifetime Achievement Award from The Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA), USA (2008)  • Best CEO Award for supporting Emiratisation initiative in UAE from the National Career Fair – Banking and Finance (2008) • Lifetime Achievement Award from Euromoney (2008) • Lifetime Achievement Award from Banker Middle East (2009) • Arab Banker of the Year in the Private Sector Award from The Union of Arab Banks (UAB) (2010-2011) • Best Banking Contributing Personality Award from Banker Middle East (2011) • MEED Leadership Award (2011) • Lifetime Achievement Award from Gulf Business Industry Awards (2012) • Innovator of the Year Award from Gulf Business Industry Award (2014) • ABLF Business Excellence Award (2014)  • Arab Banker of the Year award from The Union of Arab Banks (UAB) (2015-2016)  • Banking Business Leader of the Year from Gulf Business Industry Award (2016)  • Business Leader of the Year from Gulf Business Industry Award (2017) • Banking Business Leader of the Year from Gulf Business Industry Award (2017) • Corporate Wellness Leader of the Year award at the Daman Corporate Health Awards (2017)  • Cal Poly Alumni Excellence Award by the California Polytechnic State University Alumni Association (2017)  • Outstanding Achievement award at Arabian Business Achievement Awards (2018)  • Philanthropist of the Year at the World Congress for Muslim Philanthropists (2018)  • Banking Business Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards (2020)  • Named in the Arabian Business 100 Most Inspiring Leaders list (2024) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Source 1: 1 July 1954 (Thursday) Source 2: 12 November 1954 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2024) | 70 Years |
| Birthplace | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Zodiac sign | Source 1: Cancer Source 2: Scorpio |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Dubai |
| College/University | California Polytechnic State University, California |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Industrial Engineering (1977) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Social Media | |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Children | Son(s): 4 • Saood Al Ghurair (Businessman)  • Mansour Abdul Aziz Abdulla Ahmed Al Ghurair (Businessman) • Abdullah Al Ghurair • Ahmed Al Ghurair Daughter(s): 2 |
| Parents | Father- Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair (Businessman) Mother- Sheikha Saeed bin Sulaiman (Deceased in November 2017) |
| Siblings | Brother(s)- 3 • Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair (Businessman)  • Sultan Al Ghurair (Businessman)  • Mohammed Abdulla Ahmed Al Ghurair (Businessman)  |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair
- His family worked as pearl divers and traders in the early 20th century before their business was formalised in 1960 under Al Ghurair Group by his grandfather, Ahmad Al Ghurair, in Dubai.
- In 1977, he joined Mashreq (previously Bank of Oman), one of the oldest banking institutions in the Middle East. In 1989, he became the bank’s executive director and the bank’s CEO in 1990.
- He helped Mashreq Bank become the first Arab bank to provide ATM and credit card services after becoming the CEO.
- He is the director of Abdulla Al Ghurair Group of Companies, one of the largest business groups in the Middle East.
- He has served on the boards of directors of various organisations, including Emaar, Dubai Investments, Visa International, and MasterCard.
- He has served as the chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as a co-chairman of the Arab Business Council-World Economic Forum (WEF).
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair with the 48th president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, at the Dubai Chambers headquarters
- He has served as a member of the Consultative GCC Council for the GCC Leaders and as a member of the Board of Trustees of New York University, USA.
- He was a speaker on the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council (UAE Parliament) from 12 February 2007 to 15 November 2011.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair in the Polish Senate as a speaker House of the Federal National Council
- He became the vice-chairman of the DIFC Higher Board of Governors in August 2011.
- He became the chairman of the UAE Banks Federation in 2012.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair holding a press conference as the chairman of the UAE Banks Federation
- He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, founded by his father in 2015.
- He pledged one-third of his assets to launch Abdullah Al Ghurair Education Foundation in 2015 to help at least 15,000 underprivileged Arab youths gain higher education for a value of AED 4.2 billion over ten years.
- In 2018, as the chairman of the Abdullah Al Ghurair Education Foundation, he partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) and launched scholarships for Egyptian and Arab youth to enrol in the online Master’s degree courses of the ASU.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair with the President of Arizona State University, Michael Crow
- He established Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund in June 2018 to help 20,000 refugee youths in Jordan, Lebanon and conflict-affected children in the United Arab Emirates.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair speaking to the press about the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund
- He became the chairman of the Mashreq in 2019.
- He is the President of FBN GCC (Family Business Network, Gulf Cooperation Council) and has served as the president of The Knowledge Fund.
- He has established NED Investment (previously known as Etjar Investment) as an independent branch of Al Ghurair Group, specialising in leasing self-owned properties in Dubai.
- In 2020, he agreed to donate $10 million to the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and UNICEF for refugee education programs in the Middle East and North Africa, becoming the leading donor for the Global Muslim Philanthropy Fund for Children (GMPFC).
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair during the virtual agreement signing ceremony for the donation
- In 2024, he founded Hattan, a holdings company in Dubai.
- He has investments in multiple sectors, including food products, cement manufacturing, oil, real estate, publishing, and education.
- He is the Chairman of the Arab Business Angels Network (ABAN).
