HE Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Not only has HE Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair continued to play a prominent role within the UAE’s banking and finance community, but he has become an increasingly important figure in terms of philanthropy for the Arab world. His family’s philanthropic vehicle, the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation For Education, has provided hundreds of scholarships to Arab… Not only has HE Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair continued to play a prominent role within the UAE’s banking and finance community, but he has become an increasingly important figure in terms of philanthropy for the Arab world. His family’s philanthropic vehicle, the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation For Education, has provided hundreds of scholarships to Arab children since Al Ghurair’s father pledged to donate $1.1bn to the foundation. Last year, following the establishment of a three-year $27m fund for the education of refugees, Al Ghurair was named philanthropist of the year at the World Congress for Muslim Philanthropists. As CEO of Mashreq he enjoyed a net profit of $463m for the first nine months of 2018 – up 5 per cent on 2017; while as chairman of the UAE Banks Federation he has worked to boost the interests of the finance community – most recently by exploring the adoption of blockchain for the country’s banks. CEO, Mashreq Origin:UAE Residence:UAE Sector:Finance