Mohamed Alabbar: The Man Behind Emaar, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall
Mohamed Alabbar is the Emirati businessman who founded Emaar Properties in 1997 and built the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest malls. He is one of the UAE’s richest people, with an estimated net worth of $3 billion according to the Forbes 2026 billionaires list.
Born in Dubai in 1956, Alabbar grew up in a modest family and studied in the US on a government scholarship. He worked in banking and government before founding Emaar at the age of 40. Beyond property, he founded the e-commerce platform Noon and the international developer Eagle Hills, and chairs Americana Restaurants International and Zand Bank.
Mohamed Alabbar at a Glance
- Full name: Mohamed Ali Alabbar
- Born: 8 November 1956, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Age: 70 (as of November 2026)
- Education: Seattle University, degree in Business Administration (1981)
- Best known for: Founder of Emaar Properties; Burj Khalifa; Dubai Mall
- Current roles: Founder & Managing Director, Emaar Properties; Founder & Chairman, Eagle Hills; Founder & Vice Chairman, Noon.com; Chairman, Americana Restaurants International; Chairman, Zand Bank
- Net worth: $3 billion (Forbes, 2026)
Early Life and Education
Mohamed Alabbar was born on 8 November 1956 in Dubai, then part of the Trucial States. He is the eldest of 12 children. His father, Ali Rashid Alabbar, was the captain of a traditional trading vessel known as a dhow, and the family lived in the Rashidiya area of Dubai.
In the 1970s, he received a government scholarship to study in the United States. He studied finance and business administration at Seattle University, graduating in 1981. The university later awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007, and he served on its Board of Trustees until 2016.
Career Before Emaar
After graduating, Alabbar worked as a banking manager at the Central Bank of the UAE. In 1992, he returned to Dubai as the founding director general of the Department of Economic Development.
He became a close adviser to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, and saw first-hand how the city planned to grow through tourism, trade and real estate — experience he would soon use as a developer.
Building Emaar Properties
In 1997, Alabbar founded Emaar Properties. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market in 2000, it grew into one of the Middle East’s largest developers.
Under Alabbar, Emaar built entire neighbourhoods that reshaped Dubai, including Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Arabian Ranches, and expanded into malls, hotels and leisure.
Alabbar stepped down as Emaar’s chairman in 2020 but remains its Founder and Managing Director. Emaar’s success is the main source of his wealth.
Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall
Emaar’s two most famous projects sit at the heart of Downtown Dubai: the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.
The Burj Khalifa opened in 2010. At 828 metres tall, it is the tallest building in the world. Despite what many people assume, it is not owned by the UAE government or any royal family — it is owned by Emaar Properties, the company Alabbar founded. The tower is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the late President of the UAE, in recognition of Abu Dhabi’s support to Dubai during the 2009 financial crisis.
Dubai Mall opened in 2008 and is one of the largest shopping and entertainment destinations in the world, with more than 1,200 stores, an aquarium, an ice rink and the Dubai Fountain. Together, the two landmarks turned Downtown Dubai into the most visited district in the city.
Beyond Emaar: Noon, Eagle Hills and Americana
Alabbar’s business interests reach well beyond Emaar.
In 2014, he founded Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based developer active in 10 countries, including the Belgrade Waterfront project in Serbia. He serves as its chairman.
In November 2016, he announced Noon.com, a $1 billion e-commerce venture backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Launched in 2017, it now operates in seven countries across the Gulf and Egypt. Alabbar is Noon’s founder and vice chairman, and in late 2025 the company raised a further $500 million.
He also chairs Americana Restaurants International, one of the region’s largest food companies, and Zand, Dubai’s first digital bank.
Alabbar is also involved in Dubai Creek Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour. In 2023, he said the tower was being redesigned after the original plan was put on hold.
Mohamed Alabbar Net Worth
The Forbes 2026 billionaires list puts Mohamed Alabbar’s net worth at $3 billion, ranking him 1,406th. The list used stock prices and exchange rates as of 1 March 2026.
His wealth comes mainly from his stakes in Emaar and Americana, plus Noon and Eagle Hills. Because most of it is tied to listed share prices, the figure moves — Forbes’ real-time tracker has put it at around $3.2 billion at times during 2026.
That is why sources differ: the Forbes 2025 list put him at $2.3 billion and a Forbes Middle East regional list in late 2025 at $1.9 billion. The $3 billion figure from the Forbes 2026 global list is the most recent annual estimate.
Personal Life
Alabbar is married and has seven children. He keeps his family life private and rarely speaks about it in public. His daughter Salama Alabbar works at Emaar as deputy managing director.
Despite his wealth, Alabbar keeps a relatively low public profile. He is known for long hours and hands-on involvement in his companies, and for valuing hard work and discipline in the people he hires.