People & Civic Life
The people who helped shape the United Arab Emirates — Emirati founders, leaders and pioneers, and the long-serving expatriates who built businesses, hospitals, schools and communities alongside them. Profiled from verifiable public records.
The UAE is home to people of more than 200 nationalities. Its story has been written both by the Emirati founders and public servants who built a federation, and by the expatriates who came to work, stayed for decades, and left a lasting mark on the country’s economy, healthcare, education and civic life. This page gathers both.
Each profile is drawn from the public record — official biographies, national awards and honours, published company and institutional reports, and established news coverage. Inclusion here is an editorial selection by this journal; it is not an official state honour, an exhaustive ranking, or a comment on anyone’s private affairs or tax matters. Where a person is recognized for a specific “first” or achievement, we state only what the public record supports.
This is an independent editorial compilation. Names, titles and roles reflect the public record at the time of writing and may change. Corrections: admin@federaltaxauthority.org.
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Part I
Emirati nationals recognized for building and serving the federation — from its founders to today’s ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs and artists.
Founding President of the UAE (1971–2004). Sheikh Zayed was the UAE’s founding President, elected unanimously by the emirates’ rulers at the federation’s formation on 2 December 1971, and served until his death in 2004. Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1966, he is honoured as the nation’s founder for uniting the emirates and directing their early development.
Ruler of Dubai (1958–1990); builder of modern Dubai. Sheikh Rashid ruled Dubai from 1958 until his death in 1990 and is widely credited as the architect of the modern city. He deepened Dubai Creek and developed Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port, building infrastructure that transformed the emirate into a trading hub, and was a co-founder of the UAE federation.
UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister; Ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed is UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, roles he assumed in 2006. He has driven Dubai’s development into a global business, tourism and aviation centre and launched major national government, innovation and philanthropic initiatives that have shaped the country’s modern profile.
President of the UAE. Sheikh Mohamed was elected President of the UAE by the Federal Supreme Council on 14 May 2022, succeeding Sheikh Khalifa. Previously Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, he is recognised for guiding the UAE’s foreign policy, economic diversification and long-term development strategy.
Ruler of Sharjah; historian, author and education patron. Sheikh Sultan has been Ruler of Sharjah since 1972 and is a historian and author who earned doctorates from British universities. He founded universities in Sharjah and championed the emirate as a centre of learning and culture, writing works on Gulf history including The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf.
Crown Prince of Dubai; endurance-racing champion. Sheikh Hamdan has been Crown Prince of Dubai since 2008, overseeing public service and development initiatives in the emirate. An accomplished endurance rider, he won the FEI World Endurance Championship in Normandy in 2014, and is recognised for his public role and for raising the UAE’s profile in equestrian sport.
UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak serves as the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. He promotes peaceful coexistence among the country’s more than 200 nationalities and faiths through national festivals, tolerance programmes and interfaith engagement, and is recognised for advancing the UAE’s international profile on religious tolerance and human fraternity.
UAE’s first female cabinet minister. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi became the UAE’s first female cabinet minister when appointed to the economy and planning portfolio in November 2004. She later served as Minister of Foreign Trade and of International Cooperation and Development. A former technology executive, she is recognised for opening senior government roles to Emirati women.
Minister of State for Government Development & the Future. Ohood Al Roumi is UAE Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, a role she assumed in 2020. In 2016 she became the world’s first Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing. She is recognised for advancing government excellence, wellbeing policy and future-readiness across the UAE’s public sector.
Minister of Community Development; former youth minister. Shamma Al Mazrui became Minister of State for Youth Affairs in 2016 at age 22, widely reported as the world’s youngest government minister at the time, and since 2023 has served as Minister of Community Development. A Rhodes Scholar with an Oxford master’s degree, she also served as COP28 Youth Climate Champion and chairs Special Olympics UAE.
Minister of State for Int’l Cooperation; led Expo 2020. Reem Al Hashimy has served as UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation since 2016. She led the UAE’s successful bid to host Expo 2020 Dubai and served as the event’s Director-General — the first World Expo held in the MEASA region — and now heads the Expo City Dubai Authority.
Assistant Minister for Political Affairs; ex-UN envoy. Lana Nusseibeh served as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2013 to 2024, representing the country during its 2022–23 term on the UN Security Council and across humanitarian and multilateral diplomacy. In 2024 she was appointed Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President; veteran diplomat. Anwar Gargash has served as Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President since 2021. Previously Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2021, he became one of the government’s principal foreign-policy voices. He holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge and lends his name to the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
UAE minister; Emirates Mars Mission science lead. Sarah Al Amiri is a UAE government minister who served as science lead and deputy project manager of the Emirates Mars Mission, whose Hope Probe entered Mars orbit in February 2021. She has chaired the UAE Space Agency and the UAE Council of Scientists, and was named among Time’s influential people in 2021.
First Emirati astronaut in space (2019). Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in September 2019, launching to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz MS-15 alongside a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut. During the roughly eight-day mission he conducted scientific experiments and educational outreach. A former Air Force fighter pilot, he was selected under the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre programme.
Astronaut; first Arab long-duration mission & spacewalk. Sultan Al Neyadi launched to the International Space Station in March 2023 with SpaceX Crew-6, completing a roughly six-month stay — the longest space mission by an Arab astronaut. In April 2023 he performed the first spacewalk by an Arab, spending about seven hours outside the station, and served as a flight engineer for Expedition 69.
Emirates Mars Mission (Hope Probe) project director. Omran Sharaf was project director of the Emirates Mars Mission, leading the team that built and operated the Hope probe, which entered Mars orbit in February 2021 — the first interplanetary mission by an Arab nation. Based at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, he had earlier worked on the DubaiSat satellites and later joined the UAE Space Agency’s board.
First Arab woman to train as an astronaut. Nora Al Matrooshi was selected in 2021 as the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut, chosen from thousands of applicants under the UAE Astronaut Programme. A mechanical engineer who previously worked in Abu Dhabi’s energy sector, she trained at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and in 2024 graduated from its astronaut candidate class, becoming eligible for future missions.
Late founder of Majid Al Futtaim Group (retail & leisure). Majid Al Futtaim founded the Majid Al Futtaim Group in 1992, building it into one of the region’s largest retail and leisure companies. The group holds the Carrefour franchise across the Middle East, Africa and Asia and developed landmark destinations including Mall of the Emirates with its indoor ski slope. He died in December 2021.
Founder of Emaar Properties (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall). Mohamed Alabbar founded Emaar Properties in 1997 and led its development of Dubai landmarks including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and The Dubai Mall. A prominent Emirati businessman, he has driven large-scale urban and tourism projects across the region and later co-founded ventures including the e-commerce platform noon.com.
Managing Director & Group CEO, Mubadala Investment Co.. Khaldoon Al Mubarak leads Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor Mubadala as Managing Director and Group CEO, overseeing a global portfolio spanning energy, technology, aerospace and infrastructure. He also chairs Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and sits on the emirate’s Executive Council, making him central to its economic strategy.
Chairman & CEO, Emirates Airline & Group. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has chaired Emirates Airline & Group since its 1985 launch, building Dubai’s carrier into one of the world’s largest international airlines. He also leads Dubai Airports, Dubai Duty Free and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority — roles central to establishing the emirate as a global aviation and travel hub.
Founder & chairman, DAMAC Properties. Hussain Sajwani is an Emirati businessman who founded DAMAC Properties in 2002, growing it into one of the Middle East’s largest private real-estate developers. He began in catering in the 1980s before entering property after Dubai opened ownership to foreigners, and gives through the Hussain Sajwani–DAMAC Foundation.
Chairperson & MD, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group. Raja Easa Al Gurg is chairperson and group managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, a long-established Dubai conglomerate spanning retail and construction. A prominent advocate for women in business, she serves as president of the Dubai Business Women Council and was the first Emirati woman appointed to the board of HSBC Middle East.
Founding chairman, Al Habtoor Group. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor is the founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, which he began in 1970 as a small engineering and construction firm and built into a Dubai conglomerate spanning hospitality, real estate, automotive and education. A former member of the Federal National Council, he supports humanitarian, education and medical causes through the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation.
“Mother of the Nation”; founder, General Women’s Union. Sheikha Fatima, widow of founding President Sheikh Zayed, is known as “Mother of the Nation” for her role advancing Emirati women. She founded the General Women’s Union in 1975 and chairs national bodies for motherhood, childhood and family development. UN Women honoured her with its Agent of Change Award in 2017.
Chair, The Big Heart Foundation; UNHCR Eminent Advocate. Sheikha Jawaher chairs The Big Heart Foundation, a Sharjah humanitarian organisation supporting refugees and vulnerable children worldwide. She has served as UNHCR’s Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children since 2013, and is recognised for mobilising large-scale aid and championing the welfare of displaced and needy children.
Founder, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. Abdulla Ahmad Al Ghurair is an Emirati businessman, founder of Mashreq Bank, and a leading philanthropist. In 2015 he established the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, pledging a substantial share of his wealth to help high-achieving, underserved Emirati and Arab students access quality universities and STEM fields — among the Arab world’s largest privately funded education initiatives.
Businesswoman & philanthropist, Al Gurg Group. Muna Al Gurg is an Emirati businesswoman and philanthropist, vice-chairperson of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group. Known for advancing women’s education and opportunity, she endowed a scholarship for women at London Business School, funds a primary school in Zanzibar, and was among the first regional signatories of The Giving Pledge.
Minister of State; former Culture & Youth Minister. Noura Al Kaabi is a UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She previously served as Minister of Culture and Youth and, earlier, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, leading national cultural policy, heritage initiatives and media development. She also serves as Secretary-General of the Kalimat Foundation, which promotes children’s reading.
Pioneering Emirati painter. Abdul Qader Al Rais, born in 1951, is regarded as a founding figure of modern Emirati painting. A founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, his work moved from realist scenes of Gulf life toward abstraction incorporating Arabic letterforms and geometric motifs. He represented the UAE at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015.
Pioneering Emirati conceptual artist (1951–2016). Hassan Sharif (1951–2016) was a pioneering Emirati artist widely regarded as a father of conceptual art in the Gulf. Trained in London, he co-founded the Emirates Fine Arts Society and became known for his assemblage “objects” and grid-based “Semi-system” drawings. His work is held by institutions including Tate, Centre Pompidou and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Pioneering Emirati painter. Najat Makki, born in Dubai in 1956, is a pioneering Emirati painter. In 1977 she became the first Emirati woman to receive a government scholarship to study art abroad, training at Cairo’s College of Fine Arts. Her work draws on Emirati symbols and increasingly abstract forms, and she received the UAE’s National Award for Arts, Sciences and Literature in 2008.
President & director, Sharjah Art Foundation. Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi is a curator and the president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, which she founded, and she has directed the Sharjah Biennial since 2003. In 2015 she curated the UAE’s National Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. She is a leading figure in the region’s contemporary-art institutions.
Pioneering Emirati Nabati poet (1920–2018). Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi (1920–2018), known as “Fatat Al Arab,” was a celebrated Emirati poet and a leading voice of the Nabati vernacular verse tradition. Writing on patriotism, wisdom and love, she gained prominence in a male-dominated form; her poems were set to song, and an annual award for Emirati women poets bears her name.
Footballer; UAE national team all-time top scorer. Ali Mabkhout is an Emirati footballer and the UAE national team’s all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing Adnan Al Talyani’s long-standing record in 2019. A striker who spent his club career with Al Jazira, he also became the all-time top scorer in the history of the UAE Pro League, among the most prolific forwards in Emirati football.
First Emirati competitive figure skater. Zahra Lari is an Emirati figure skater from Abu Dhabi, widely recognized as the first Emirati figure skater to compete internationally and the first to do so wearing a hijab. Her participation helped prompt the UAE to join the International Skating Union, and she has become an advocate encouraging Muslim women to take up sport.
Former Minister of Climate Change & Environment. Mariam Almheiri served as the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment from 2021 to 2024, and earlier as Minister of State for Food and Water Security. She advanced the national food-security agenda and represented the UAE on climate and food issues internationally. In 2024 she was appointed to head the Presidential Court’s International Affairs Office.
Co-founder & chair, Emirates Environmental Group. Habiba Al Mar’ashi is an Emirati environmental advocate who co-founded the Emirates Environmental Group in 1991 and chairs the Dubai-based NGO, among the region’s earliest environmental organizations. She also co-founded the Emirates Green Building Council and the Arabia CSR Network, and has long championed recycling, education and corporate responsibility.
Geneticist; founder, UAE Genetic Diseases Association. Dr Maryam Matar is an Emirati geneticist and public-health leader who founded the UAE Genetic Diseases Association to combat hereditary conditions through screening, awareness and research. A pioneering woman in Emirati public administration, she has advocated for premarital and preventive genetic screening and leads national campaigns addressing thalassaemia and other genetic disorders.
Part II
Long-serving residents from around the world, recognized for the businesses, hospitals, schools and communities they built in the UAE over decades.
Chairman & MD, Lulu Group International. Kerala-born and long resident in Abu Dhabi, Yusuff Ali built Lulu Group International into one of the Middle East’s largest retail and hypermarket operators, its retail arm listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in 2024. In 2019 he became the first recipient of the UAE’s permanent-residency “Golden Card,” and he is a noted philanthropist and diaspora community figure.
Late founder & chairman, Landmark Group. Indian-born entrepreneur who founded Landmark Group in 1973, starting with a single store and building it into one of the Middle East and India’s largest retail and hospitality conglomerates, headquartered in Dubai. A long-time UAE resident, he died in May 2023; the group is now chaired by his wife, Renuka Jagtiani.
Founder & chairman, Danube Group. Mumbai-born entrepreneur who founded Danube Group in Dubai in 1993 as a building-materials trading firm and expanded it into a major regional supplier spanning building materials, home décor and real estate across the GCC and India. A long-time UAE resident, he is regularly listed among the region’s leading Indian business figures.
Founder & chairman emeritus, Sobha Group. Kerala-born entrepreneur who began with an interior-decoration business in 1976 before founding Sobha in 1995; its UAE arm, Sobha Realty, is a major Dubai developer. He is chairman emeritus of the India-listed Sobha Limited, a signatory of The Giving Pledge, and has committed to giving away half his wealth to charity.
Founder & chairman, RP Group. Kerala-born industrialist who built RP Group, founded in the Gulf in the late 1970s, into a major construction, engineering and hospitality conglomerate employing tens of thousands across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. A long-time Gulf resident based in Dubai, he received India’s Padma Shri in 2008.
Late chairman, Cosmos ITL Group; community elder & author. India-born businessman who arrived in Dubai in 1959 as a young clerk and rose to chair the Cosmos ITL Group in textiles, electronics and IT. A prominent elder of the UAE’s Indian community, he led diaspora institutions such as the India Club and wrote the memoir “Taking the High Road.” He died in July 2024, aged 83.
Late chairman, Regal Group; Indian-community patron. India-born textile magnate who settled in Dubai around 1960 and founded Regal Traders, later the diversified Regal Group. Known as Dubai’s “textile king,” he was a leading patron of the emirate’s Indian community, helping establish The Indian High School and backing temples, schools and charities. India honoured him with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2017; he died in April 2026.
Founder & chairman, Mulk Holdings. India-born entrepreneur who began his UAE business career in 1982 and established Sharjah-based Mulk Holdings in 1995, a diversified conglomerate best known for its Alubond aluminium-composite-panel brand, with interests spanning manufacturing, real estate, healthcare and sport. He founded the T10 cricket league and runs the group’s CSR Mulk Foundation.
Founder & chairman, Aries Group. Kerala-born naval architect who founded the Sharjah-based Aries Group in 1998, beginning with marine-engineering firm Aries Marine and expanding into a multinational group spanning ship design, oil and gas, media and education. A long-time UAE resident, he holds a naval-architecture degree from India’s Cochin University.
Group director & partner, Al Maya Group. India-born businessman, group director and partner of Dubai’s Al Maya Group, a retail and FMCG conglomerate running a network of supermarkets across the UAE and Oman. A long-time UAE resident active in trade and diaspora bodies, he serves as the Middle East regional head of India’s ESC export-promotion council.
Head of Jashanmal Group (century-old Gulf retail house). Grandson of Rao Sahib Jashanmal, who founded the family retail business in 1919; the group opened its first Dubai store in 1956 and today runs department stores and brand franchises across the UAE and wider Gulf. Of Indian (Sindhi) origin, Tony Jashanmal came to Abu Dhabi as a teenager in the 1960s and later led the Dubai-headquartered group.
MD, LuLu Financial Holdings & Twenty14 Holdings. India-born, UAE-based businessman and managing director of LuLu Financial Holdings — a Gulf-headquartered money-exchange and financial-services group with branches across many countries — and of the hospitality investor Twenty14 Holdings. He also leads the group’s retail arm, Tablez, and sits on World Economic Forum advisory bodies.
President, Emirates Airline. A founding team member of Emirates in 1985, Clark has served as President of the Dubai-based airline since 2003, overseeing its expansion into one of the world’s largest long-haul carriers. Previously at British Caledonian and Gulf Air, he was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to British prosperity and aviation.
CEO, Dubai Airports. Griffiths became the first chief executive of Dubai Airports in 2007, overseeing Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International. Under his leadership DXB has ranked as the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic for consecutive years, handling over 92 million guests in 2024. He previously ran London Gatwick.
Former President, Group Services & dnata, Emirates Group. Chapman joined the Emirates Group in 1989 and spent over three decades there, latterly as President of Group Services and dnata, building dnata into a major global air-services provider spanning ground handling, catering and travel across dozens of countries. He retired in March 2021.
Founder & CEO, Huda Beauty. An Iraqi-American who settled in Dubai in 2006, Kattan launched a beauty blog in 2010 and the Huda Beauty cosmetics line in 2013, beginning with false eyelashes sold through Sephora. Built from Dubai, the brand grew into a globally recognised cosmetics company, and she became one of the most-followed beauty entrepreneurs online.
Founder & chairman, Kreston Menon. A chartered accountant who moved to Dubai in 1991, Menon founded the audit and advisory firm later known as Kreston Menon, among the UAE’s leading accountancy practices, with offices across the emirates. He chaired the ICAI Dubai Chapter and has appeared on Forbes’ Arab World leaders lists.
Chairman, Al Dobowi Group; patron, Guru Nanak Darbar. Kandhari founded the Al Dobowi Group in 1976, starting with a Dubai tyre showroom and building a multinational business in tyres, batteries and related products across several continents. He is also closely associated with Dubai’s Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara, opened in Jebel Ali in 2012, serving as its chairman and a leading figure in the UAE’s Sikh community.
Founder & chairman, Nikai Group. A former Indian Foreign Service diplomat, Shahdadpuri left diplomacy for business and founded Dubai’s Nikai Group in the late 1980s. The group spans electronics, home appliances, food products and other sectors, with its Nikai consumer brand exported across many countries. He twice served as president of the Indian Business and Professional Council in Dubai.
Founder, Petrochem Middle East. Mehta moved to Dubai in 1990 and founded Petrochem Middle East in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, growing it into one of the region’s largest independent chemical distributors. In January 2026 Petrochem and DP World inaugurated a second UAE terminal at Jebel Ali Port valued at AED 300 million.
Co-founder, Huda Beauty; founder & CEO, Kayali. Based in Dubai, Mona Kattan co-founded the cosmetics brand Huda Beauty, which launched at Sephora in 2013, and in 2018 founded the fragrance line Kayali, now operated independently and co-owned with General Atlantic. Forbes Middle East has ranked her among the region’s most powerful businesswomen for her role in Dubai’s beauty industry.
Founder & CEO, Mumzworld; co-founder, Bayt.com. A Dubai-based entrepreneur, Ataya founded Mumzworld in 2011, the Middle East’s leading mother-and-child e-commerce platform, and earlier co-founded the regional jobs site Bayt.com. An advocate for women in the digital economy, she was selected a UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate and recognised by Forbes Middle East among the women behind the region’s tech brands.
MD International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds. Ahamed directs the international business of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the world’s largest jewellery retailers, from its Dubai hub. He led the group’s overseas expansion from 2007, opening its first foreign showroom in the UAE, and has since helped grow a network spanning hundreds of stores across more than a dozen countries.
Chairman & MD, Eram Group. Ahmed is chairman and managing director of Eram Group, a diversified conglomerate with a Dubai regional base and interests spanning oil and gas, construction, travel, healthcare and IT across dozens of entities. He also heads the Dubai-based travel company ITL World, and Forbes Middle East has listed him among the region’s leading travel and tourism figures.
Chairman, Kataria Holdings. A Dubai-based investor, Kataria chairs Kataria Holdings, with interests in steel, base metals, real estate, education and financial services across the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Earlier in his career he built the Indian telecoms venture JT Telecom, and Gulf wealth lists have repeatedly featured him among the region’s influential Indian businesspeople.
Chairman, Shaikhani Group; President, Pakistan Business Council Dubai. A long-time Dubai resident, Shaikhani chairs the Shaikhani Group and serves as president of the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai, representing Pakistani entrepreneurs in the emirate. In 2021 he and more than two hundred council members received UAE Golden Visas in a drive supported by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, recognising their economic role in the country.
Chairman, Al Musbah Group. Akram is a Dubai-based Pakistani entrepreneur who chairs the Al Musbah Group, active in contracting, aluminium and real estate. In 2019 he was widely reported as the first Pakistani national to receive the UAE’s ten-year Golden Visa, awarded under the long-term residency scheme for investors recognised as contributors to the country’s economy.
Business figure, Team Authentic. Vanuatu-born business figure associated with Team Authentic, recognized for supporting investment connections and helping introduce investors to the UAE.
Founder & chairman, GEMS Education. Varkey chairs GEMS Education, one of the world’s largest private school operators, running a major network of schools across the UAE. Through the Varkey Foundation he launched the $1 million Global Teacher Prize in 2014, awarded annually in Dubai, plus the Global Student Prize. His family-led group is a fixture of UAE private education.
Founder & chairman, Aster DM Healthcare. A Kerala-born physician, Moopen founded Aster DM Healthcare in 1987, growing it from a single Bur Dubai clinic into one of the GCC’s largest private healthcare networks of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies across the Gulf and India. He holds a Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and features regularly on Forbes healthcare lists.
Founder & chairman, Burjeel Holdings (VPS Healthcare). A radiologist from Kerala, Vayalil founded VPS Healthcare in 2007 and built it into a major Gulf hospital network. In 2022 its GCC assets were consolidated under Burjeel Holdings, which he chairs, with flagship hospitals prominent in Abu Dhabi. He and his wife joined The Giving Pledge in 2018, committing to large-scale philanthropy.
Founder & president, Thumbay Group; Gulf Medical University. Invited by Ajman’s ruling family to establish a private medical college — then unprecedented for an expatriate — Moideen founded Gulf Medical University, which opened in 1998 and gained university status in 2008. He leads the diversified Thumbay Group, spanning healthcare, education and allied sectors across the UAE.
Founder, Zulekha Hospitals; pioneering woman doctor. Widely known as “Mama Zulekha,” Daud moved to the UAE in 1964 and is credited as the first female Indian doctor to practise in the country. The Nagpur-trained gynaecologist founded the Zulekha healthcare group, which runs hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah. She received India’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019 and a UAE long-term residency.
Founder & chairman, Pure Gold Group; prisoner-debt philanthropist. India-born Dubai businessman, founder and chairman of the Pure Gold jewellery group, best known for his long-running philanthropy clearing the debts and travel costs of insolvent prisoners so they can return home. His “Forgotten Society” effort, run with UAE authorities, has helped secure the release of thousands of inmates since 2008.
Founder & chairman, KEF Holdings; philanthropist. Kottikollon began in Ajman in 1995, founded Emirates Techno Casting (sold to Tyco International in 2012) and reshaped KEF Holdings around infrastructure, investment and healthcare. With his wife Shabana he established the Faizal and Shabana Foundation in 2007, funding education, healthcare and humanitarian projects across the UAE and India.
Haute-couture fashion designer, Dubai. Cinco is a Filipino couturier based in Dubai since the late 1990s, who opened his own atelier there in 2003. Known for intricately embellished gowns worn by international celebrities, he was named Fashion Designer of the Year at Dubai’s EMIGALA 2021 and has received the Philippines’ Presidential Award for outstanding Filipinos overseas.
A note on recognition: civic contribution takes countless forms, and no list can be complete. This selection is offered in the same spirit as the rest of this journal — recognizing public value, with sources, and without confusing public achievement with private tax affairs. For official guidance on UAE taxes, visit the Federal Tax Authority at tax.gov.ae ↗.