Abu Dhabi | The list of most influential Indians in the Middle East has been published. The list was released by Arabian Business, a leading trade magazine in Dubai.
Lulu Group Chairman and Abu Dhabi Chamber Vice Chairman MA Yousafali topped the list. Choit Ram Group Chairman LT Pagarani is second in the list after Yousafali. Dubai Islamic Bank Chief Executive Officer Adnan Chilwan, who is an expert in the field, is third in the list.
Adeeb Ahmed, Managing Director, Lulu Financial Holdings, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank. Sunil Kaushal and others have made it to the fourth and fifth positions in the list. Ghazan Abud Group CEO. Dr. Suresh Vaidyanathan, Chairman, Burjil Holdings. Shamseer Vyalil and Emami Group director Prashant Goenka also figure in the top 10 of the rank list.
Yousafali also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, which has a significant impact on the commercial and industrial sector in the Gulf. This is the first time that a person of Asian origin has been appointed to the top position of a government institution by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
Yousafali has also received the Abu Dhabi Award, the highest civilian honor for his contributions to the UAE’s commercial and philanthropic sector. Yousafali has close ties with the rulers of the Gulf countries, including the UAE.
With 247 hypermarkets in the Gulf countries, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia, the Lulu Group employs more than 65,000 people from 43 countries. The group also has logistics centers in 23 countries including USA, UK, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Thailand.