Al Fajer Group

Al Fajer Group
Private
Industry Holding companies
Founded UAE 1970 (1970)
Headquarters Dubai
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Sheikh Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum (President and CEO)
MUBARAK EISA (GM)
Website AlFajer.com

Al Fajer Group Dubai, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)is a nationally owned holding company established in 1970 by Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum of Dubai's ruling family. As stated on the company's corporate website, "Al Fajer's company policies and objectives will always be dedicated to the economic growth and global recognition of a young nation."[1]

Overview

Al Fajer Group (AFG) was established in 1970 by its Group President Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, His Highness. Since his appointment of CEO of the group in 1998 the company has grown to a diversified business entity delivering services to a wide range of international clients. Al Fajer Group reportedly has 18,000 employees and an annual group turnover of AED 5.8 billion. The Group's business interests to date have now placed it as a market leader with the following national companies incorporated under its umbrella; Al Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading w, Al Ahmadiah Aktor LLC, Al Fajer Security & Maintenance, Lunar Electro, Al Fajer Establishment, Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd, Al Fajer Information & Services www.alfajer.net with over 2 decades of experience in providing a complete range of organization and management services through its five divisions which are; Fairs and Exhibitions, Octanorm Displays, Shop Fittings, Design & Graphics and International Exhibit Builders. Other group members include; Al Fajer Travel & Tourism, Al Fajer Medical Supplies, Al Fajer Interiors & Decorations LLC and Al Fajer Investments & Development.[2]

AFG's Umbrella Companies

Al Fajer Emergency Medical Services

Al Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading

Al Fajer Display & Shop Fittings

Al Ahmadiah Aktor L.L.C

Al Fajer Department Stores

Al Fajer Bunkering Services

Al Fajer Travel, Tourism & Cargo

Al Fajer Establishment

Al Fajer Security & Maintenance Services (AFSMS)

Al Fajer Information & Services (AFIS) www.alfajer.net

Al Fajer Medical Supplies

Balmer Lawrie (UAE) L.L.C

Emirates Chemical L.L.C

Lunar Electro

Executed projects include: Social and Cultural Auditorium Ajman, Markaz Al Jumeirah, several luxury villa complexes in Jumeirah and Jebel Ali. Current Projects include: Military Camp and Air Base projects and the Gardens Community Centre of Nakheel.

Engineering Works Foundation Infrastructure (EWFI)

Al Fajer Properties

Al Fajer Properties, L.L.C. (AFP), was established in November 2004 as a wholly owned subsidiary of AFG (Al Fajer Group). The company provides property development services and has gained recognition for its work in the Jumeirah Lake Towers Community, which consists of 9 commercial towers and an estimated project value of more than 3 billion, AED. Al Fajer Properties has grown rapidly to become one of the key players in Dubai's property development market.[4]

2009 restructuring

On February 3, 2009, Al-Fajer Properties (AFP) announced the dismissal of its CEO, Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, as well as a 3.2 billion dirham ($871.2 million) restructuring of AFP's business operations. Sources close to Al-Fajer reportedly told Forbes magazine that the appointment of Sheik Maktoum bin Hasher al-Maktoum as AFP's new chief was an overdue response to nearly three years of alleged mismanagement headed by Shahram Abdullah Zadeh. The company followed its dismissal of Mr. Zadeh with a "rigorous" business review in hopes to find a solution to strengthen AFP's balance sheet. The review reportedly found the best solution to be a liquidation of Al Fajer's land bank and remaining inventory.

Sources close to Al-Fajer say the new president, Maktoum, was called in by his father to fix the so-called "financial shambles" after an employee indirectly alerted the elder sheik to the company's financial situation by requesting cash in early 2008. According to reports in Forbes magazine, Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, "a flamboyant, Iranian-born businessman" had allegedly been mismanaging Al Fajer Properties for nearly three years by forging company contracts, keeping fraudulent, unaudited accounts and moving money back and forth between Al-Fajer Properties and other companies owned by him. Zadeh denies any wrongdoing and claims that the so-called "rescue" was a full-blown theft of a company he had owned and financed alone throughout the course of its existence. He also denies that the company was a financial mess and claims that his erstwhile partner, Maktoum, breached his trust to take control of a successful firm. Zadeh did not deny moving funds between Al-Fajer and other companies he owns, but claims that he put the money into the company's account in the first place and later took it back as his "investment."

Official documents show a cash balance for Al-Fajer Properties being approximately $8.2 million when Maktoum arrived in 2008, which was then restored to $163.4 million to $190 million 60 days later. The sheik, say sources close to the company, did this by unwinding investments that would have saddled Al-Fajer with massive liabilities in the "hundreds of millions" of dirhams, narrowly escaping the real estate slide that hit Dubai months later after the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in September. Since then, property prices have fallen an estimated 20% to 25%.[5]

2009 property scandal

In May 2009, Al-Fajer Properties and its marketing partner Dynasy Zarooni were involved in a scandal involving false representations of progress of the construction of three properties in the Jumeirah Lake Towers development.[6] The scandal apparently involved the use of faked construction photographs to convince investors that the projects were close to ready when, in fact, no construction had actually commenced. About 500 investors and over 400 million were involved.[6] Coverage of the scandal was suppressed in the Dubai press by the government.[6]

Key people

Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, former CEO

Dr. Shahram Abdullah Zadeh served as the company's Chief Executive Officer from 2004 to 2008. Mr. Zadeh studied general medicine at Masaryk University, graduating from the school’s Faculty of Medicine in 1999. Following his studies at Masaryk University, Mr. Zadeh moved back to Dubai and began working as a real estate agent within Dubai's Iranian community. Dubai's real estate market had been booming and Zadeh had garnered much recognition for himself by quickly turning large profits for his clients. In 2003, Zadeh was introduced to Sheikh Hasher bin Juma'a Al Maktoum, the brother-in-law of Dubai’s ruler. Sheikh Hasher bin Juma'a Al Maktoum, a member of the Royal family was impressed by Shahram Zadeh's work, and in turn, hired him to run Al Fajer Properties.

Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al Maktoum, CEO

Sheikh Maktoum received his BS/BA from Suffolk University in Boston. Since that time some of his biggest success stories include being one of the founding investors of Virgin Megastores in the UAE (which has now grown to hold a major market share in the region) followed by the creation of the global brand “A1 Grand Prix.” The current investment opportunity presented to Kulckyz Investment House is one of many expected international partnerships to take seed under the management of His Highness. Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al Maktoum hopes to make the Al Fajer Group a globally recognizable brand as he aims to position himself within the US & Europe as part of an overall global growth strategy.[2] [7]

Regarded Projects

Jumeirah Lake Towers. [8]

External links

References

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