The natural business leader, Adviser to Sevens Holding’s Chairman and the first Bahraini to win Business Elite’s 40 Under 40 Award, shares the secrets behind his success, his organisation’s accomplishments and what makes Bahrain special.

Congratulations on winning! Please share the major highlights of your professional journey up to the point of this achievement.
Thank you. I am greatly honoured to receive this award from such a prestigious institution. It is testament to the support and guidance that I have received from His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sevens Holding. Through his directives and leadership, both I and the team at Sevens Holding have been provided the opportunity to achieve and witness the successful execution of key projects and the attraction of reputable global brands in line with the company’s goals and aspirations. I began my professional career as an accountant at Arcapita Bahrain where I was able to practice my educational experience and receive on-the-job skills that allowed me to quickly grow into a Senior Accountant position. I joined Sevens Holding as CEO to lead the hospitality and food and beverage (F&B) sections. Having received such an opportunity at a younger age was incredible as it allowed me the chance to work closely with His Excellency to execute key projects in an extremely challenging but impactful role. This role accelerated my career and the development of my leadership skills as failure was not an option and success was the only goal.

To which personality traits do you pin your success?
My success is the result of hard work, learning from failure and persistence. Throughout my journey at Sevens Holding, I learned that you may hit road blocks but you need to problem-solve and find alternate solutions – never give up. Success takes time and you will go through trials and errors along the way but the end result is always worth the challenge. This is the key to my success today and I am confident that my willingness to see projects through till the end is a main factor to my accomplishments.

Please describe Sevens Holding and what you do in a nutshell.
Sevens Holding is a Bahrain-based holding company with interests in a variety of industries including hospitality, real estate and investments. The company was founded in 2011 by H.E. Shaikh Khalifa, the grandson of H.R.H. Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the late Prime Minister of Bahrain. Since its establishment, the company has built a proven track record of success having developed key real estate projects such as Royal Saray and The Walk whilst continuing to attract reputable global F&B brands such as Scalini, Bagatelle, Opa and Black Tap amongst others. As part of the company’s goals and aspirations, it continuously seeks ways in which it can support the national economy by attracting global brands to the Kingdom and promoting the prosperous tourism and hospitality sectors. My role at Sevens Holding is now as an adviser to ensure that I support His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa’s vision in line with the company’s goals and aspirations of becoming a leading hospitality provider in the Kingdom. The company’s portfolio comprises significant global brands and I am confident that it will continue to be a leader in bringing global brands to local markets.

You’ve worked with some of the top names in the real estate, hospitality and F&B, and transportation industries. What, in your view, is Bahrain’s USP when compared to its regional counterparts?
I have had the privilege of working with reputable brands and companies within various sectors and in my view, the Kingdom is recognised amongst its regional peers for its business-friendly environment, strategic location in the heart of the Gulf with easy entry, established infrastructure and, most importantly, its visionary leadership. I believe that Bahrain’s USPs will continue to attract investment and business in the years to come. The country is well-positioned to become a regional hub for trade, commerce and tourism.

Do you have a secret talent or is there something about yourself that you can tell us that most people wouldn’t know?
I am a doer who is not afraid to take on new challenges. I am always ready for a challenge and not afraid to fail because I know that failure is a part of learning and growing. I would like to thank H.E. Shaikh Khalifa for trusting and empowering me to grow under his leadership. ✤