Al Ghurair Group

Al Ghurair Group, founded in 1960 by Saif Ahmad Al Ghurair in Dubai, UAE, is one of the oldest and largest diversified family-owned business conglomerates in the Middle East.

Its origins trace back to the 1930s when the Al Ghurair family were pearl divers in Dubai before transitioning into trade and commerce as the pearling industry declined. Saif Al Ghurair consolidated the family's expanding business interests into a single entity, laying the foundation for the modern group.

Early ventures included the establishment of Dubai’s first cement factory, flour mill, and sugar refinery, playing a pioneering role in the industrial development of the UAE.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Al Ghurair Group diversified into several sectors aligned with Dubai’s rapid economic growth. In 1967, the group founded the Bank of Oman, later renamed Mashreq Bank, which grew to become the largest private bank in the UAE by the 1980s.

The group expanded into manufacturing with the founding of Gulf Extrusions, an aluminum extrusion plant, and Arabian Packaging for corrugated packaging. It also contributed to Dubai’s retail infrastructure by opening the Gulf’s first shopping mall, Al Ghurair Centre, in 1981, followed by the BurJuman Shopping Center in 1991, which was later expanded into a major retail hub.

In the 1990s, the group underwent a strategic restructuring when Saif and his brother Abdulla Al Ghurair split business interests into two complementary entities.

Saif Al Ghurair Group focused on manufacturing, petrochemicals, aluminum, steel, packaging, and real estate, while Abdulla Al Ghurair Group concentrated on finance, food, and construction.

Today, under the leadership of chairman Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair and CEO Majid Saif Al Ghurair, the group operates across multiple industries including food packaging, petrochemicals, metals, real estate, and manufacturing. It maintains a wide geographic footprint with operations and investments across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America.

Al Ghurair Group is recognized for its significant contributions to Dubai’s industrialization and economic diversification. It pioneered key manufacturing processes in the region and helped shape the modern commercial infrastructure of the emirate.

The group remains a major player in sectors like polypropylene film production, aluminium extrusion, and flexible packaging, supported by various subsidiaries such as Taghleef Industries and Al Ghurair Real Estate.

Its legacy is intertwined with Dubai’s transformation from a modest trading port to a global business hub, making it a cornerstone of the UAE’s industrial and commercial landscape.