46 Waleed Ahmed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi

Mubadala chief operating officer Waleed  Ahmed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, responsible for overseeing the operational and business development activities of Mubadala, also heads-up a relatively new division of the company — Mubadala Real Estate & Hospitality — expected to thrive thanks to its association with parent company and Abu Dhabi investment giant Mubadala Development Company.

“Every project, partnership and joint venture undertaken by Mubadala Real Estate & Hospitality will deliver benchmark projects, be in line with the Urban Strategic Framework plan — Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 — and enhance Abu Dhabi’s standing as a global capital city,” Al Muhairi promised at its launch in May 2008.

So far, the company’s initiatives are impressive, including the development of the MGM Grand Abu Dhabi — the centrepiece of the Mina Zayed development — in partnership with MGM Grand and the expansion of The Tides and Viceroy luxury brands in the Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean region thanks to an exclusive agreement with The KOR Hotel Group.

Mubadala Real Estate & Hospitality, which is overseen directly by  its executive director John A. Thomas, also has a joint venture with Italian designer Poltrona Frau to create luxury interiors firm PF Emirates Interiors.

A fairly new investor where hospitality is concerned, Mubadala’s track record in other sectors and the selective choice of brands make Al Muhairi one to watch.