< Previous30 February 2023 DUBAI 100 Jamal Abdulla Lootah is the Group CEO and primary driving force behind Imdaad, a Dubai-based group of companies established in 7 that delivers a comprehensive suite of sustainable integrated Facili- ties Management (FM) services. Lootah oversaw Imdaad's meteoric rise to establish new benchmarks for high-quality services, earning the title of Visionary Leader of the Year at the Innovation in Construction and FM Awards . Under his stewardship, the company has consistently broad- ened the scope of its o erings and succeeded in attracting and retain- ing many prestigious clients. Renowned for his exceptional leadership style, excellent adminis- trative capabilities, and capacity to create and uphold a strong company culture, Lootah began his career with the Security Department of the Dubai Ports Authority and was formerly the Director of Human Resources and General Administration at Dubai World. His passion for excellence is inspired by the “Be Number One” approach favoured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Imdaad has secured numerous industry awards and recognitions as a result of Lootah’s unwavering focus on excellence, including the SKEA - Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, the Dubai Quality Apprecia- tion Award, the Green FM Organisation of the Year award at the Emir- ates Green Building Council (EGBC) Awards, and Overall FM Company of the Year at ITP Media Group’s FM Awards. Last year, the company also achieved its third consecutive five-star rating at the annual Taqdeer Awards in recognition of Imdaad’s commitment to global labour protection best practices and its employees’ signi cant contri- butions to Dubai's growth and economic success. Guided by his vision, Imdaad has consistently invested in cutting-edge new technology while delivering the highest levels of customer service. This strategy has enabled the business to ourish and land contracts for some of the world’s most famous structures and locations. Facilities Management Middle East magazine has crowned him the most important person in the region's FM sector an unprecedented eleven times. JAMAL ABDULLA LOOTAH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Imdaad has a stellar track record in working toward sustainability through eco-friendly o erings and practices as well as various e orts to raise environmental awareness 9,000 The number of skilled employees from more than 45 nationalities Imdaad employs Group CEO IMDAAD 90arabianbusiness.com 31 DUBAI 100 91929394 OWEIS ZAHRAN ELDA CHOUCAIR ALEX HIRSCHI Partner BERKELEY ASSETS CEO OWS AUTOMOTIVE CEO OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP Founder and owner SUPERCAR BLONDIE Adynamic entrepreneur in the automotive industry, Zahran was driven to disrupt the consumer auto parts sector in the MENA sector. OWS Automotive was launched in 2010 as an exten- sion of MZ Holdings, an inter- national investment Group launched by his father in the nineties. With a footprint across three continents, the company has 16 subsidiaries, primarily in the eld of oil and gas, construction, industrial manufacturing, and automo- tive R&D. Steering the compa- ny’s growth in the region, Zahran helmed a joint venture with the Sharjah government and built the UAE’s largest auto remanufacturing unit, later expanding internationally. In 2017, he established Ra d Auto- motive Solutions as a joint venture between OWS Auto and Sharjah Asset Manage- ment, which today, operates a eet of electric cars, o ers an accident reporting app, and provides vehicle emission test- ing. That same year, he launched Voltron Motors for customised cars, in collabora- tion with Hollywood celebrity Tyrese Gibson. As one of the few women in a C-suite position in the regional advertising indus- try, Choucair has steered multiple projects to acceler- ate the Group’s transforma- tion, including technological developments in automa- tion, predictive modelling, and eCommerce. A 16-year veteran at the Group, she has held senior account posi- tions at OMD and led PHD for over a decade. Under her leadership, PHD grew sevenfold and became a key player in the region. In 2016, she was named CEO of PHD MENA, followed by her role as COO of the Holding Group, and in 2021, was appointed as the CEO. An active industry gure across multiple groups, Choucair is the vice-chair of the Adver- tising Business Group (ABG), board member of the Inter- active Advertising Bureau (IAB) GCC and the Interna- tional Advertising Associa- tion (IAA) UAE Chapter, and a founding board member of the Unstereotype Alliance, and the D&I Middle East Council powered by PWC. One of the world’s biggest automotive entertainers, Hirschi was born in Australia and currently resides in Dubai. Prior to launching Supercar Blondie, she was a professional TV and radio broadcast journalist who hosted her own prime time talk radio show on Dubai Eye up until April 2017. Two years later, her rst TV Show, Car Crews with Supercar Blondie, launched on Insight TV. And today, her company Supercar Blondie produces content across topics ranging from super cars to tech, luxury across watches, super yachts, and mansions, and lifestyle, with a focus on celebrities, movies and travel. Hirschi produces content across all social media platforms, including Instagram where she has over 11 million follow- ers. And with an entire team of social media executives, editors, producers, and more, she has been the recip- ient of multiple accolades including Lifestyle In uencer of the Year from the Monaco In uencer Awards, amongst others. Atrailblazing private equity rm with its Asia HQ in Dubai, Jackson has steered the brand to quickly propel into a household name. He is also the founder of the Dubai born OJLS Investments and its innovative signature brand, OJ Lifestyle which has divisions in F&B with multi- ple ventures in the pipeline in partnership with popular hospitality groups. Besides business, he has also realised his childhood passion and races with Ferrari in inter- national GT Motorsport. Coming to Dubai from London a decade ago and now just age 31, Jackson has a signi cantly growing in u- ence in the community in Dubai and beyond. His phil- anthropic work in Tanzania, Sri Lanka and UAE has further positioned him as an in uential gure that Dubai can truly be proud of. In early 2023, Jackson plans to launch ‘Your Digital Best- Friend’, a state-of-the-art digital personal assistant built to manage all personal, business and leisure requirements. AUTOMOTIVE MEDIA AND MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA FINANCE OMAR JACKSON32 February 2023 DUBAI 100 95969798 SKY KURTZ SAIFI ISMAIL WALID HAJJ Founder and CEO VURSE Founder and CEO PURE HARVEST SMART FARMS President YALLA GROUP LTD Co-founder and CEO LAVOYA GROUP Adriving force within the region’s tech-enabled agribusiness, Kurtz had previously co-founded Vence, a wearable technology solution for animal protein farming, and was also the vice president at Fran- cisco Partners. In 16, Kurtz and his business partner, Mahmoud Adi, launched Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a regional innovator in sustainable agri- culture focused on the produc- tion of greenhouse fruits and vegetables using world-leading Dutch greenhouse growing technologies. The company focuses on sustainably grown, premium quality, local fresh produce, as their high-tech greenhouses provide precise climate and environmental controls, enabling increased productivity and reduced waste. Pure Harvest Smart Farms received seed funding in 17, and one year later, began constructing its rst high-tech greenhouse in Abu Dhabi. In June , Pure Harvest acquired BayWa’s controlling interest in the Al Dahra BayWa joint venture, which operates a large-scale, 11-hectare high- tech, controlled-environment agriculture production facility. Abusinessman and computer engineer, Ismail was instru- mental in the UAE’s first unicorn technology company, Yalla Ltd., to list in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:Y- ALA). He began his career in 4 as a VAS Engineer at Huawei where he remained until 6. He later acquired experience across key compa- nies, including ZTE Corpora- tion; Etisalat; and NetComm. In October 19, he was appointed to his current role and became a member of its management team, overseeing the company’s IPO launch at the NYSE. The company has two agship mobile applica- tions, Yalla, a voice-centric Group chat platform, and s Yalla Ludo, a casual gaming application featuring online versions of popular board games. Following its success, the company expanded its content by creating an inte- grated ecosy stem that includes Waha, a social networking product designed for the metaverse, and games including Yalla Baloot, aimed at local gaming communities in the region. Avisionary entrepre- neur , Hajj has defined his unique imprint in the F&B sector, creating innovative concepts that have disrupted the industry and established him as a pioneer in the region. He launched Lavoya, a premium restaurants operator estab- lished in 1, with the purpose of transforming dining experiences. In just one year, Lavoya launched three hugely popular fran- chise brands in the region, including Joe and The Juice, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Barbar. Previously, Hajj demonstrated his entrepre- neurial acumen with the launch of Cravia, one of the region’s leading food and hospitality groups that brought world-class fran- chises to the Middle East including Zaatar W Zeit, Five Guys, Cinnabon, and Seat- tle’s Best Co ee. He stepped down from his role after private equity rm Fajr Capi- tal, acquired a majority stake in Cravia in 16. And today, Hajj is a highly sought-after speaker at global industry conferences and summits. With a vision to become a disruptor and a tech entrepreneur of this generation, Sakib was already building his tech business portfolio of inno- vative concepts while pursu- ing his education in the US and UK. In , he launched Vurse, an interactive short video platform designed for users to showcase, consume, and engage with global talent and ideas. The app offers video editing and employs purpose-designed machine learning driven systems to ensure users stay ahead of the latest trends. With big plans for expansion over the next five years in Dubai, his vision has been further bolstered by the announcement of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to boost the UAE’s economy to $4 billion by through the metaverse sector . W ith A I and metaverse at the core of its technology, Vurse enables its users to stay updated with the latest trends and source the content that ful ls their needs. AGRICULTURETECHNOLOGYHOSPITALITYTECHNOLOGY SHADMAN SAKIBarabianbusiness.com 33 DUBAI 100 Awell-known businesswoman, Semeshkina is also a venture investor as well as an edtech visionary. A popular and influential gure in the eld of personal growth and development, her Instagram handle boasts over 2.4 million follow- ers. Semeshkina’s book on personal development, "Learn or Leave the Market," went on to become a global sensation and was translated into 16 languages. It’s not surprising that the book made an indelible mark around the world and ultimately became a global bestseller. A shining example of a self-made woman, she has set the benchmark as an inspiring example for millions of women around the world. Featured on the covers of top media outlets for achieving her aspirations, Semeshkina has over a decade of experience in marketing and public relations. She has steered the promotion of a diverse range of major international brands and has extensive experience developing market- ing strategies for projects in USA, Switzerland, Germany, UAE, and CIS countries. Additionally, she has launched several entrepreneurial endeavours and has provided private consulting services for major inter- national companies in the realm of marketing and branding. In her current role at Lectera.com, an international education plat- form based on the Fast Education teaching method, Semeshkina leads an international team of online education professionals. She manages and coordinates product development, brand promotion, educational content creation, and the operations of all companies within the Lectera group in the US, Europe, and UAE. For her achievements in the eld of EdTech, she has received multiple awards, such as being named one of the Top-100 women in EdTech by HolonIQ and one of the Top-10 start-up CEO's by EdTech Awards. Under her leadership, Lectera has attracted over 1.5 million students worldwide. In addition to her business ventures, she is also a philanthropist and founder of the Women's Empowerment Council, a community dedicated to helping women achieve their full potential in business and life. The council has more than 30,000 members worldwide and will host the Women's Empowerment (WE) Convention in Dubai on 7-8 March 2023. MILA SMART SEMESHKINA EDUCATION Women are more diligent and attentive. We act much more sel essly when we have something to ght for 1.5 MILLION The number of worldwide students enrolled at interactive learning platform Lectera Founder and CEO LECTERA.COM 9934 February 2023 DUBAI 100 Considered one of the world’s 1 most in uential people in the crypto industry, blockchain expert par excellence Reinhardt is not only a successful businessman, but also a business coach, prominent economist, an expert in startup devel- opment, and a venture capitalist. Over the past few years, he has held more than one hundred coaching seminars which were attended by about half a million people. As a visionary entre- preneur, he has founded and success- fully launched over successful international start-ups. Every start-up founded by Reinhardt has a mission to change the world and improve the lives of ordinary people. Growing up, his family immigrated to Germany and struggled nancially, relying on social bene ts. This experience taught him the value of hard work and determination and helped him become an expert in attracting investment and launching new businesses. To give back, he founded the Alex Reinhardt Academy to help others achieve success by merging his own experience with the expertise of world leaders across the elds of nance, business, and soft skills. Over 5 , people have participated in the Academy's courses and train- ing, and his book, You’re Number One: How to Become a Leader in 30 Days and Remain One has inspired many to make a di erence in their lives and went on to become a global best-seller. In addition to teaching and mentoring, Reinhardt has also created the PLC Ultima ecosystem which includes a crypto debit card, crypto- currency exchange, wallet, and crowdfunding platform. Boasting more than 1.5 million active monthly users, this ecosystem has provided ordinary people access to a global infrastructure to maintain decent lifestyles and independence, irrespective of inaccessibility to traditional nancial instruments. Now a resident of Dubai, Reinhardt’s teachings have bene ted thousands of people all over the world, helping them live comfortably, earn more, and develop their professional skills. And despite his busy schedule of attending conferences and events all over the world, he never stops pushing himself to achieve even more ambitious goals. Truly a ‘man of the world’, millions of successful people follow Rein- hardt’s lead. ALEX REINHARDT TECHNOLOGY Everything I do today is 1 percent know-how-based. I am also passionate about creativity. For instance, my team is currently funding a development of a yacht that can y 1.5 MILLION The number of active monthly users of PLC Ultima crypto platform created by Alex Reinhardt Entrepreneur, venture capitalist and expert in crypto technology REINHARDT VENTURES 100KSA Women Excellence Awards 2023 Tuesday 21st March, Riyadh, KSA Celebrating the female leaders helping to shape Saudi Arabia’s economy For commercial and event enquiries: Saraswati Agarwal Group Commercial Director Tel: +971 4 444 3352 GSM: +971 52 895 2214 E-mail: saraswati.agarwal@itp.com Daniel Fewtrell Director of Awards & Marketing Tel: +971 4 444 3684 E-mail: daniel.fewtrell@itp.com Scan to visit websiteN E OM . C OM THE LINE is a revolution in civilisation. However, the true wonder is not what it is, but what it will do for its citizens. Running from the mountains in the East of NEOM right through to the Red Sea in the West, THE LINE is a city that follows a single, perfectly straight line 170Km long, 500 metres high and just 200 metres wide. It is designed for 9 million people and combines the most advanced engineering and design imaginable, from some of the greatest wonder is what it will deliver for everyone living there. A place for commerce and communities to thrive like never before. NEOM_30105_Arabian_Business_English_200X265mm_En.indd 118/07/2022 15:57Next >