Hussain Sajwani, the man who took a journey from basically nothing to becoming a real estate giant, is the extraordinary story of vision, resilience, and strategic brilliance. Founded by him, DAMAC Properties is now the largest and most luxurious property development company in the Middle East. More than its massive contribution to Dubai’s skyline, DAMAC has made an impression on the global scale of real estate. Sajwani is known for his elaborate marketing campaigns and cooperation with international brands, including the likes of Versace, Roberto Cavalli, and even the Trump Organization. He has transformed Dubai into a great luxury property hotspot and boasts an empire now valued at $5 billion. But his journey reflects not only his individual success but the tremendous pace of development in Dubai as a global city for investment and real estate innovation.

He comes from a family that had a small souk shop selling imported goods from China. His mother was a textile trader with a variety of goods. Such early exposure gave Sajwani an acute sense of the nature of trade, commerce, and business dynamics. Sajwani is able to earn a government scholarship to attend a medical college in Baghdad and within a short period, he moved to the United States, where he pursued industrial engineering at the University of Washington. This was Sajwani’s first experience in business as well as his education. It helped him build a solid foundation to begin with his entrepreneurship journey. In 1981, he joined Abu Dhabi Gas Industries in the finance department, but, actually, it was in 1983 that he launched his first big venture, that of a catering business catering to clients including the U.S. military, besides major corporations such as Bechtel. The venture is today named Global Logistics Services and is still operational to this day.

In the year 2002, Hussain Sajwani decided to take a shift in his life—a shift that would enormously affect his future and also alter the condition of Dubai’s real estate sector. Following the law had changed and facilitated foreigners with the right to own property, especially in freehold areas, in Dubai, Sajwani founded the DAMAC Properties, aimed at luxury residential, commercial, and leisure properties. It proved to be a milestone, considering that Dubai was booming in real estate at that time, the city undergoing a fast-paced transformation into the world’s business hub. The move saw DAMAC quickly building its name into one associated with luxuriously designed projects to attract high-net-worth and international investors. At the current moment, the company has delivered more than 27,000 homes while 35,000 units are currently under development.

He saw an opportunity to stand out with grand marketing for DAMAC. The company allowed the owners of a place to buy the property and take away a Lamborghini. Developing properties in collaboration with Versace, Fendi, and Roberto Cavalli, DAMAC projected itself as a top luxury developer. Among its projects is a golf course by Tiger Woods and managed by the Trump Organization.

Hussain Sajwani’s vision goes beyond Dubai. He acquired the Italian fashion brand Roberto Cavalli in 2019. The move sounds like an extension of his diversification efforts in investments. He invested £600 million in the UK by commissioning DAMAC Tower, which will carry the Versace brand, in London’s Nine Elms district. This is a demonstration of Sajwani’s international ambitions as he works to develop developments that are upscale enough to appeal to the refined tastes of the world in general. Personal Life Hussain Sajwani is a family and business man. Being married with four children is a modest description of how personal Sajwani’s life is to his professional life, since his son Ali Sajwani is the Managing Director of Operations for DAMAC Group. Several lists have featured Ali as a new star rising in the Middle East, and one can easily see that the future of the future generation of Sajwani leaders is bright. His daughter, Amira Sajwani, has a vital role at DAMAC that reflects a commitment to shaping the future of the company.

Sajwani is also notable for his close ties with former U.S. President Donald Trump, working in association with the Trump Organization over a couple of luxury projects spread all over the world, including the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai. However, it would appear that Sajwani has kept his business acumen on the sharp end, having widened the global reach of DAMAC with its award-winning luxury developments.

Samir Mohammed Gargash has become the name of successful individuals in the UAE business environment. Through his family business, becoming chairman of Gargash Group, he has turned it to a diversified verge: it started from automotive, healthcare, investments, and went on from there. His influence is felt across diversified sectors – through Gargash Motors, Gargash Hospital, Daman Investments – cementing himself as part of the top Emirati businessmen in the country. Obviously, the visionary leadership of Gargash has revolutionised the automotive sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council and extended the company’s wings into all the geography of Europe and the Middle East.

Gargash Motors is one of the outstanding ventures as it has dominated the GCC region. Known as Gargash Motors, this company was established back in 1958 and has managed to grow into the only distributor of luxury automobile brands such as Mercedes-Benz in Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates. Earning good reputation with top-quality vehicles and unmatched after-sales services, the company has become a familiar name in the luxury automotive industry. Under the management of Samir Gargash, this company has continued to grow in response to the increasing needs of the high-income populace in the region with exclusive premium cars from Mercedes-Benz all the way down the gamut to Alfa Romeo and GAC Motor. His strategic vision and change-sensitive ability in dealing with the demands of the market have ensured that Gargash Motors maintains its continued dominance in the marketplace of luxury car sales.

While Gargash Motors is probably the most prominent of all, Samir Gargash has business ventures spread over healthcare, real estate, and investments, among others, which have been successful under his leadership. Among the most celebrated ventures by the group is the Gargash Hospital, which is a multi-specialty health facility in Dubai that sets the healthcare standard in the emirate. Equipped with high-quality, well-trained medical teams and state-of-the-art technology, the hospital operates highly specialized departments in cases of obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiology, and general surgery. His approach to quality healthcare endorses him as a contributor to the well-being of citizens and residents in the UAE.

Samir Gargash has led the investments sector also. Its financial group arm, Daman Investments, is the largest investment management company in this region. Daman Investments provides wide investment solutions to high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors in the UAE and more. It is a proof of the great depth and breadth of Samir Gargash’s capabilities in identifying lucrative opportunities and managing complex financial portfolios. Samir Gargash does not have ambitions inside the UAE. His influence stretches too many parts of Europe and the Middle East, where he leads a chain of other businesses. Gargash, with his foresight for growth and expansion, seized opportunities for emerging markets for which the Gargash Group now stands competitive globally.

Samir Gargash further brought international knowledge and innovation through strategic partnerships and collaborations, thereby further promoting the group’s ability to offer world-class products and services. For example, through his forays into Europe, he shows concern for a much more robust global agenda for the group, yet always true to the core values that have driven the success of this group in the UAE. What makes Samir Mohammed Gargash a business leader is his visionary approach with which he welcomes the changing market outlook. His leadership has been characterized through prudence and risk-taking while keeping an eye on excellence.

Whether it is the automobile industry, health care, or investments, Gargash’s companies have always exceeded expectations regarding quality and service delivery. His philanthropic activities also earn Samir Gargash accolades. Like most successful Emirati business owners, he believes in giving back to society and supporting various charitable causes while contributing to the socio-economic development of the UAE.

Abdulla Mohammed Juma Al Nabooda heads one of the UAE’s most respected business conglomerates, the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, as a visionary leader. With him at the helm, not only is the torch for his family being carried, but this group is getting transformed into a future-ready enterprise. With the aim of sustainable, transparent, and ethically-oriented growth, Abdulla leads the Al Naboodah Group to rise above the challenges emerging from the new world while safeguarding its prestige in such myriad sectors as construction to automotive industries.

Founded in 1958 by two visionary brothers, Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah, Al Naboodah Group has grown into one of the leading family-owned businesses in the UAE. From trading company, the expansion grew into a multi-activity group of businesses with interests in construction, automobiles, agriculture, real estate, and logistics. With a long-standing reputation for quality and trust, it stands among the leaders in delivering quality services and quality products both locally and globally. The Al Naboodah Group currently employs nearly 10,000 people of nearly 50 nationalities, who are devoted to inclusivity. Its core business activities are civil engineering, building, and MEP services. Over time, the company has expanded into smart cities, renewable energy, and other sectors aligned with the UAE’s national priorities for sustainable development.

Sits at the helm, Abdulla Mohammed Juma Al Nabooda as chairman of the Group’s Executive Committee and leadership fundamentally entails the definition of the company’s strategy, overseeing its operations, and steering it toward continued growth. Leadership from Abdulla Mohammed Juma Al Nabooda on expansion to keep some of the core values that have defined the Al Naboodah Group for over six decades. Abdulla is highly devoted to implementing sustainability in the company’s operation. This means that the business is developed not only in terms of finance but also in creating a positive contribution to the environment and greater society. Abdulla’s leadership approach therefore hinges on transparency and ethical-making. He values, on the one hand, strong profiles of companies with the group while, on the other hand, getting accustomed to being adaptable in the need of a very dynamic business landscape. Whether it is investment in renewable energy projects or progress through further sustainable construction practices, Abdulla’s leadership has helped the Al Naboodah Group become a reliable name in both traditional industries and new markets.

There are two main divisions of the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group: the first is Al Naboodah Construction Group (ANCG) and the other is Al Naboodah Commercial Group (ACG). ANCG made great contributions to the construction of large-scale mega projects throughout the UAE. This includes airports, roads, and high-rise buildings among many more mega projects. The branch mainly specialized in civil engineering and building construction with MEP services. Meanwhile, ACG is the representation of some of the world’s most prestigious car-badged brands like Volkswagen, Audi, and Peugeot. The automotive division by the group was synonymous with luxury and reliability. Here, they were offering premium ranges of cars to the ultra-discerning customers in the UAE. But the group is heavily into other ventures like travel, agriculture, and smart city, among others; it seems that they actually are an epitome for innovation and diversification.

Abdulla Mohammed Juma Al Nabooda’s goals include installing sustainability at each level in the organization. This dedication to environmental stewardship presents a wider goal the UAE has envisioned for a sustainable future. Either by decreasing the carbon footprint associated with the construction projects undertaken by ANCG or ensuring that energy efficiency is incorporated in its car dealerships, the Al Naboodah Group is exhibiting a good example worthy of emulation. In the context of CSR, the group has also subscribed to the ideals of CSR leadership, ensuring it contributes positively to the welfare of the communities it caters to. From philanthropic initiatives to employee development initiatives, the wide-ranging approach this group takes towards business development has seen it garner wide acclaim as a responsible enterprise and one interested in the future.

Abdulla is undoubtedly, therefore, a prominent figure in the UAE entrepreneurial landscape simply because he appears to so adequately cross the hurdles of the modern business world. He proudly upholds his family heritage while promoting growth simultaneously and inspires the region’s next generation of leaders through strategic vision.