Founded in 1960 by Saif Ahmed Al Ghurair, the Al Ghurair Group grew from Dubai’s traditional trading businesses into one of the Middle East’s most diversified family conglomerates. Guided by its motto “In pursuit of better,” the group has spent over six decades driving transformation in industry and society. Today Al Ghurair operates in more than 20 countries with a workforce exceeding 28,000 people worldwide, reflecting the scale instilled by its pioneering founder.

Industrial and Manufacturing Business

Manufacturing has long been at the core of Al Ghurair’s success. The Group owns seven industrial companies spanning metals and packaging, from aluminium extrusion (Gulf Extrusions) to polymer films (Taghleef) and steel rolling. These businesses serve global markets, in the Middle East, North and South America, Europe and Australia, and supply critical inputs for construction, automotive and consumer goods. In parallel, Al Ghurair’s infrastructure arm brings decades of engineering and construction expertise. Over 40 years, its Infrastructure division has completed 100+ major projects (including the UAE’s first-ever district cooling plants) and delivers roughly 30% of the nation’s chilled-water capacity. This division provides end-to-end services (from design to maintenance) for data centres, power substations and large‐scale developments across the Middle East, Africa and India.

Real Estate and Development

Saif Al Ghurair Real Estate (SAGRE) manages a vast portfolio of properties in Dubai and the UAE. The assets span residential, commercial and retail space, including landmark destinations like BurJuman and Reef Mall that have helped define Dubai’s retail landscape. SAGRE’s strategy emphasizes long-term value and capital recycling. In 2024 it launched a new development arm, P.O.B1 Properties (named after the Group’s famed P.O. Box 1), which will spearhead a pipeline of signature residential and mixed-use projects in Dubai. These real estate ventures draw on the Group’s century‑old legacy, aiming to blend innovation with practical living experiences in the Emirates.

Food and Agriculture Expansion

Al Ghurair Foods, the Group’s consumer food‑processing division, is expanding to meet UAE demand for locally produced food. In 2025 the company broke ground on a 68‑hectare broiler farm in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Economic Zone, part of a AED 1 billion investment to boost poultry production. Scheduled to open in late 2025, this advanced facility will employ over 200 workers and serve growing demand for fresh, high quality poultry. Equipped with international biosecurity standards, the farm will not only supply domestic markets but also support local farmers through a production contracting model. This project complements Al Ghurair’s earlier KEZAD agreements (from 2023) totaling more than AED 1 billion for mega processing plants (including a first of its kind starch plant), underscoring the Group’s commitment to UAE food security and local industry.

Mobility and Global Partnerships

Al Ghurair Mobility drives the Group’s transport and automotive interests. In 2025 the company inked several landmark distribution deals: in September it became the exclusive UAE distributor for Chery Group’s new RELY pickup trucks, making the UAE the global debut market for this brand. That same summer it expanded regionally by partnering with China’s Dongfeng Motor: Al Ghurair Mobility will introduce Dongfeng’s premium electric SUVs MHero and Voyah in Saudi Arabia, marking a first entry into the Kingdom’s auto market. These moves align with regional visions (e.g. Saudi Vision 2030) to diversify and electrify transportation. Alongside mobility, the Group maintains a range of automotive brands (e.g. Ashok Leyland trucks, Siemens elevators) and even its own ride-sharing taxis (Kabi and Zed), illustrating how the Group connects global technology with Gulf markets.

Strategic Investments

Beyond direct operations, Al Ghurair manages strategic financial stakes. The family holds significant minority positions in Mashreq Bank (a leading private UAE bank) and the National Cement Company (one of the country’s first cement producers). These long-term investments support stable growth and capital appreciation. The Group’s family office also manages a diversified portfolio of public and private equity. In 2025 Al Ghurair realigned some assets, for instance, it sold Arabian Flexible Packaging (founded 1982, a longtime subsidiary) to UAE industrialist Napco National Packaging. This divestment (effective August 2025) illustrates a strategic refocus: consolidating the Group’s core holdings while reinvesting in high-growth areas. Overall, Al Ghurair’s investment activities balance preservation of wealth with selective capital deployment across domestic and international markets.

Social Impact and Education

The Al Ghurair family also emphasizes giving back, chiefly through the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (named after a co-founder). This philanthropic arm invests in Arab youth education to build future skills and opportunities. By 2025 the Foundation aims to prepare 200,000 students across the Arab world for higher education and the workforce. In practice it has already reached about 239,400 beneficiaries through scholarships, teacher training and digital learning programs. These initiatives, empowering Emirati and Arab learners with science and technology education, reflect the Group’s philosophy of “driving progress in industry and society”. In sum, Al Ghurair Group’s business success goes hand-in-hand with its social mission: applying vision and resources to uplift communities as it grows.

Al Ghurair Group’s path illustrates the complex interplay between capital, responsibility, and continuity in the Gulf’s modern economy. Its survival across decades reflects the necessity of adaptation in a region where markets shift as quickly as policies. What matters is not the grandeur of its projects, but their ability to sustain relevance and resilience in changing times. In that sense, the Group’s story is less about triumph than about endurance as a national and economic obligation.