Dominique de Villepin awards Sheikh Maktoum Young CEO of the Year award for 2008
Awards hosted by The Middle East Excellence Awards Institute
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher al Maktoum, the newly appointed President of Al Fajer Properties (AFP) and CEO of the Al Fajer Group (AGF), has been awarded the prestigious Young CEO of the Year award by the former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin. The Middle East Excellence Awards Institute in Dubai hosted the award ceremony at the prestigious Burj Al Arab Hotel.
In his acceptance speech, Sheikh Maktoum said: “I would like to first thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for creating an environment that supports the pursuit of excellence which has made such a significant event possible, making Dubai the center of the new-world. Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed have given people like me the opportunity to excel and perform nationally as well as on the global stage. I would like to also thank His Excellency, the former prime minister of France, for presenting me this award, as it is truly a great honour to be recognized amongst such great CEOs from the region. I hope to continue to exceed these expectations in all my future business ventures.”
The award recognizes the accomplishments of a CEO which have been achieved within a very short period of time and honors those leaders who have shown tremendous leadership potential at a young age and who will continue to contribute to their organization's future success.
Sheikh Maktoum received a BS/BA in finance from Suffolk University in Boston. After completion of his degree he returned to Dubai where he began working with AFG in an executive capacity. With his rapid appointment as the CEO of the Group, he initiated the arduous task of diversifying the Group’s businesses with a focus on building a global brand name. Today, the Group employs more than 18,000 employees with an annual turnover of approximately AED 5.8 billion.
Always seeking out new investment opportunities, Sheikh Maktoum simultaneously took on the directorship role of Shadar Holdings to take a partnership stake in Virgin Megastores, Promod, Pull & Bear, and Bershka in the United Arab Emirates, all ventures proving to be highly profitable.
Before his appointment as President of Al Fajer Properties (AFP) recently, Sheikh Maktoum took on the challenging role of serving as the Chairman of Dubai International Holding Company (DIHC). He single-handedly master minded the creation of the international A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) racing series, leveling the playing field for car racing from across the globe and earning him and Dubai the right for a place in history. He received his first international award last year when he was selected as “Young Global Leader 2007” by the World Economic Forum.
