Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: ‏ ‏سلطان أحمد بن سليم, born 1955) is an Emirati businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of DP World and the chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation.

Family and education

The Sulayem family has been one of Dubai's most prominent business and political families since at least the early 20th century. Ahmed bin Sulayem's father was a key advisor to Dubai's ruling

Maktoum family Maktoum or maktoom, also known as katem, is a traditional Arabic unpitched percussion instrument. A large round bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically ...

. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

in Philadelphia.

Business career

Bin Sulayem worked as a customs officer at Dubai's port after graduating from college in the late 1970s. He was appointed by Sheikh

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai ...

to be chairman of the

Jebel Ali Free Zone Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza; Arabic: (جافزا) المنطقة الحرّة لجبل علي al-Munṭaqa al-Ḥurra le Jabal ʿAlī) is a free economic zone located in the Jebel Ali area at the far western end of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, nea ...

(JAFZA) in 1985. He oversaw its rapid expansion, with JAFZA growing from hosting 19 companies in the mid-1980s to roughly 7500 as of 2020. Bin Sulayem was made DP World chairman in 2007 and was appointed group chairman and CEO in February 2016. Following the acquisition of British port operator Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation for $6.9 billion, DP World became the world’s third biggest port operator in 2010, and has remained in the top three since. DP World expanded its business in July 2021 with the purchase of American global logistics provider Syncreon Holdings for $1.2 billion. Bin Sulayem led DP World's property development subsidiary

Nakheel Nakheel Properties ( ar, نَـخٍـيْـل, nakhīl, palm tree) is a property developer based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The formal name of the company is Nakheel PJSC (private joint stock company) and it was a subsidiary of Dubai World a ...

until 2010, becoming a board member in 2020. The company was behind the construction of man-made islands in Dubai. He helped establish and headed the DP World subsidiary private equity fund

Istithmar World Istithmar World ("istithmar" (Arabic) for "investment" (English)) is an investment firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This company is a state-run business owned by Dubai World, a Dubai government-owned company, and was establishe ...

. He has been non-executive chairman of

Virgin Hyperloop Hyperloop One (known from October 2017 to November 2022 as Virgin Hyperloop or Virgin Hyperloop One) is an American transportation technology company that works to commercialize the high-speed travel concept called the Hyperloop, a variant of t ...

since 2018. He is a board member of the Dubai Executive Council and the UAE Federal Tax Authority, as well as the Investment Corporation of Dubai (the emirate's

sovereign wealth fund A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), sovereign investment fund, or social wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such as ...

) until 2009.

Recognition

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University in Dubai in 2008.

Personal life

Bin Sulayem owns hotels on Nakheel's Palm islands, and a stake in a real estate brokerage company. His son, Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem, is the chairman of the government-owned

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is the UAE's largest free-trade zone that is located in the Jumeirah Lake Towers district of Dubai. Created in 2002, it serves as a commodities exchange that deals in four main sectors: precious commod ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bin Sulayem, Sultan Ahmed 1955 births Living people Emirati businesspeople Temple University alumni People from Dubai Asian Games medalists in equestrian Equestrians at the 2006 Asian Games Asian Games bronze medalists for the United Arab Emirates Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games