| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair |
| Profession(s) | Businessman, Philanthropist |
| Famous For | • Being one of the most richest person in the UAE • Being a member of one the most prominent business-class families in Dubai • Being the CEO of Al Ghurair • Being the founder of the Mashreqbank |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 9" (175 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | White |
| Career | |
| Honours | Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India (February 2025) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1929 |
| Age (as of 2025) | 96 Years |
| Birthplace | Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Dubai |
| Religion | Islam |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Children | Son(s)- 4 • Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair (chairman and president of Al Ghurair, chief executive at Mashreqbank, politician, philanthropist)  • Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair (vice chairman of Al Ghurair, head of Al Ghurair Food and Al Ghurair Resources)  • Sultan Al Ghurair (serves on the board of directors at Mashreqbank, director of business development at Al Ghurair Energy)  • Mohammed Al Ghurair (managing director of the National Cement Company)  Daughter- None |
| Parents | Father- Ahmed Majid Al Ghurair (founder of the Al Ghurair Group) |
| Siblings | Brother- 4 • Saif Ahmad Al Ghurair (1924 - 27 August 2019) (former CEO of Al Ghurair Group)  • Majid Ahmad Al Ghurair  • Marwan Ahmad Al Ghurair • Jomaa Ahmad Al Ghurair Sister- None |
| Other Relatives | Nephew(s)- 6 (sons of Saif Ahmad Al Ghurair) • Abdul Rahman Al Ghurair • Majid Al Ghurair • Mohamed Al Ghurair • Ahmed Al Ghurair • Rashed Al Ghurair • Saeed Al Ghurair |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $4.5 billion (as of 30 April 2025) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Abdulla Al Ghurair
- Abdulla Al Ghurair was born into a prominent business-class family in Dubai. His family was involved in the pearl business with other countries and was considered to be close to the ruling family of Dubai.
- The family decided to shift its focus from the pearl business after the end of the Second World War. It was during this time that their relations with the ruling class of Dubai started as they helped Al Ghurairs in setting up their business in the emirate.
- In 1960, Abdulla Al Ghurair assisted his family in establishing the Al Ghurair Group in Dubai. The group went on to become the first company to establish a sugar mill and a cement factory in the UAE.
- In the 1960s, he constructed several schools for the poor and the needy with the aim of providing education free of cost.
- In 1967, he founded Mashreq, one of the oldest banking institutions in the Middle East. This bank was previously known as the Bank of Oman.
- He then took over the post of the bank’s chairman.
- The bank initially used to provide loans; however, later Ghurair expanded the bank’s role from just providing loans to providing investment services, safety deposits, and the purchase of bonds.
- In 1968, he laid the foundation of the National Cement Company. This company made its fortune by providing cement to foreign companies developing infrastructure in Dubai after the “oil boom.”
- In 1975, he laid the foundation for establishing Oman Insurance Company, now known as Sukoon Insurance. The insurance company attracted a lot of foreign investment into the investment industry in the UAE.
- In 1976, he established the National Flour Mills, the first of its type of mill in the UAE, and an aluminium smelting plant.
- In the same year, he established Jenan, a multi-brand food-selling company, which is now popular for selling Pasta in the world. This brand was later put under the flagship of Al Ghurair Foods.
- In 1981, he took a loan of $347 million to repair and expand the shopping complex in Dubai and established the Al Ghurair Centre, Dubai’s first shopping mall.
- In the early 1990s, the Al Ghurair Group was divided into two between Abdulla and his brother Saif. Saif was allotted a majority of the businesses owned by the Al Ghurair Group; therefore, he was appointed as its chairman. Meanwhile, Abdulla retained control over the finance, food, and construction subsidiaries of the parent company and named his company Al Ghurair Investments, later renamed Al Ghurair.
A photo of Abdulla Al Ghurair taken in the 1990s
- The formal separation of the company was finalised in 1994.
- In 2008, Abdulla signed the biggest oil deal in the history of the UAE when he acquired a 50 per cent stake in the Libya-based Ras Lanuf oil refinery.
- Other than business, Abdulla Ghurair is also involved in philanthropy. In 2015, he established the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) and started the Al Ghurair STEM Scholars Program (AGSSP) to provide education to Arab kids.
Abdulla Al Ghurair with his son while they were visiting the foundation for a visit
- In the same year, he reserved a third of the total worth of all his companies for investing in various education programs run by the Dubai authorities.
- The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) made him its first Goodwill Ambassador for Education in the Arab World in 2016.
- In October 2019, he stepped down as the chairman of the Mashreq Bank. Ghurair was then appointed to the bank’s board as one of its permanent members.
- In June 2021, he entered into a partnership with the American University Beirut (AUB) and established the Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning with the intent of improving the quality of distance learning and online education courses for Arab students. The hub is based out of the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (MSFEA) in Beirut, Lebanon.
- In the same year, he became the richest person in the UAE; however, the title of the richest person in the UAE was later given to Hussain Sajwani. He was also ranked #809 in the Forbes Richest Persons in the World list.
- In January 2022, he had an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion.
- As of 2025, the Mashreq Bank is engaged in providing services in various fields, such as retail banking, asset management, investment banking, corporate banking, business banking, treasury, capital markets, and Islamic banking. The bank also reported an AED 13.4 billion in valuation.
- Mashreq Bank is one of the first banks in the UAE to function under Sharia law.
- Under his leadership, his real estate company played a vital role in designing and constructing the interior as well as the exterior of the Burj Khalifa. He also spearheaded the Dubai Metro project and Dubai Skyline, which was partially built by the Government of Dubai.
- As of 2025, the AGFE has provided financial assistance to over 15,000 children to receive primary and secondary education.
- He was ranked at #825 in the Forbes Richest Persons in the World list in 2025.
- Owing to his experience in business, he has often been invited to attend business meetings by the ruler of Dubai.
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