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Forbes honours top GCC Indian investors
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – By Rasha Al Hassan- DUBAI – The Indian community especially potential entrepreneurs have played a crucial role in the economic growth of the Middle East region, particularly in the UAE which has been described as a lucrative investment destination.
The remarks were made on Tuesday night by Indian Ambassador to the UAE, T P Seetharam when he presided over at the Forbes Middle East ‘Top Indian Leaders in the Arab World’ Awards that honoured leading and successful businessmen.
The event encompassed the entire Arab world for the first time, with ranking that included 170 Indian business owners, founders and C-level executives including CEOs and CFOs, based in the region.
The Indian envoy noted that the community had played an enormous role in the continued development of the Arab world. He added that their passion, drive and expertise have blended well with the region’s own, creating a truly unique business environment, more so that India and UAE have traditionally enjoyed a conducive trade and social relationship.
MA Yusuffali, the managing director for LuLu Group International topped the Award list of business owners and founders, cementing his position as an unmatched business leader.
Other awardees included Rizwan Sajan, founder & chairman of Danube Group; Surya Subramanian, group CFO, Emirates NBD; Thumbay Moideen, founder-president of Thumbay Group; V Shankar, group executive director & CEO – EMEA & Americas, Standard Chartered; and Adnan Chilwan, CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank.
The star of the evening was Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan who was a special guest, and he also availed his time to interact with the audience and also shared exclusive insight about his career and life.
The superstar mentioned about the deep relationship that exists between India and the Middle East, as well as his personal affection for the Arab world and Dubai in particular.
Amongst the highlights of the evening was the unveiling of the latest issue of Forbes Middle East magazine, which includes a comprehensive ranking of inspirational Indians, upon which the evening’s prestigious awards were based, with the cover story being on Shah Rukh Khan.
A total of 120 business owners and founders made it to the ranking this year, with 22 per cent falling within the retail sector; 19pc of them in industrials and 7.5pc in the diversified sector.
Unsurprisingly, the UAE ranked first with 78pc of business owners choosing to establish their companies in the country.
Of the 40 CEOs that made the final cut, the UAE accounted for 37 entries, leagues ahead of the rest of the region; Qatar is home to just two and Oman, one. Banking and finance was the most prevalent sector, with 13 CEOs.
For their part, seven of the top 10 CFOs are based in the UAE, two in Kuwait and one in Bahrain, with banking and finance ahead of the rest, but closely followed by real estate and construction, and retail.
“Tonight’s event and the latest issue of Forbes Middle East that underpins it are the fruits of months of dedicated work. The Forbes Middle East team has worked diligently to create a comprehensive ranking and rich editorial content, while the relentless efforts and attention to detail of our team and invaluable partners have paved the way for a fantastic evening of celebrations,” said Hannah Stewart, executive editor at Forbes Middle East soon after the Award ceremony.
Sanjeev Chadha, CEO of PepsiCo AMEA, topped the CEO lineup and in the CFO category, DP World’s Yuvraj Narayan clinched top spot.
Prominent business leaders Dr Azad Moopen, chairman DM Group; Mohan Valrani, senior vice chairman & MD Al Shirawi Group of Companies; and BR Shetty of the UAE Exchange and NMC Healthcare were also honoured at the event.
Present at the event was Boris Collardi, CEO of Julius Baer Group, which partnered with Forbes Middle East on this special occasion.
“I would like to thank Forbes Middle East for creating this platform and in particular acknowledging the tremendous efforts of Indian business leaders in shaping a vibrant business community in the Arab World. To our mind every member of the Indian business community is a winner, for it is this sense of purpose to deliver beyond our boundaries that drives us to levels of excellence,” said Collardi.
Speaking after the event, Khuloud Al Omian, editor-in-chief, Forbes Middle East and vice-president of Arab Publisher House, said: “Indian entrepreneurs and businessmen have played an enormous role in the continued development of the Arab world. Their passion, drive and expertise have blended with the region’s own, creating a truly unique business environment.”
