Revealed: Winners at the 2020 Gulf Business Awards

The eighth edition of the Gulf Business Awards was held on Thursday, November 26, to honour business leaders and pioneering companies across the GCC for their special achievements during a tough year.

Hosted virtually due to the current Covid-19 climate, the prestigious awards acknowledged the leaders who piloted their companies through constraining times as well as organisations that innovated and disrupted the regional business landscape.

A total of 30 winners were announced at the event.

Companies and business leaders were recognised across multiple industrial verticals including energy, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, technology, finance, real estate, banking, healthcare and retail.

The year 2020 has been a testament to the importance of digital enablement in the face of adversity, and it was only fitting to acknowledge those at the forefront of this industry. Hence Gulf Business instituted not one but four new awards within the technology space – Consumer Tech Company of the Year, Emerging Tech Company of the Year, Digital Transformer of the Year and Technology Business Leader of the Year.

This year, Gulf Business also introduced the Investment Company of the Year, to acknowledge players making a difference in this space.

Within the business excellence space, Gulf Business launched three new categories to laud the game-changers. These include: Disruptor of the Year, Sustainability Company of the Year and the Covid-19 Heroes award.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Sir Tim Clark, president of Dubai’s Emirates Airline, was the recipient of the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020, to hail his meritorious career and long-standing contribution to the aviation industry.

Dubai-born startup Cafu bagged the Disruptor of the Year award, and emerged as the Gulf Business Company of the Year, garnering the best scores from the judges.

Meanwhile, our Healthcare Business Leader of the Year, David Hadley, who is the CEO of Mediclinic Middle East, also clinched the esteemed Business Leader of the Year title.

The winners were chosen by our distinguished panel of judges, comprising veterans including Dr.Habib Al Mulla – executive chairman, Baker and McKenzie Habib Al Mulla; Mona Ataya – CEO and founder of Mumzworld.com; John Martin St. Valery – chairman, British Business Group, Dubai and Northern Emirates; Ian Fairservice, managing partner and group editor-in-chief, Motivate; and Andrew Wingrove, group director, Motivate Media Group.

The award ceremony was hosted by Motivate Media Group and officially sponsored by Huawei, Kachins, Tradewind Middle East, Fortinet, University of Wollongong Dubai, MENATech and Jacobsons.

Watch the entire ceremony here:

LIST OF WINNERS 2020

Lifetime Achievement Award: Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline

Gulf Business

Company of the Year: Cafu

Business Leader of the Year: David Hadley, CEO of Mediclinic Middle East

COMPANIES OF THE YEAR 

Banking: First Abu Dhabi Bank

Investment: Century Financial

Energy: GE Power

Healthcare: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA)

Real estate: Danube Properties

Retail: Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons

Transport and logistics: Emirates SkyCargo

Tourism and hospitality: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority

Consumer tech: OPPO

Emerging tech: Micro Focus

Digital transformation: Huawei Middle East

BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR

Banking: H.E. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of Mashreq

Energy: Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO, Masdar

Healthcare: David Hadley, CEO, Mediclinic Middle East

Real estate: Arif Mubarak, CEO, Dubai Asset Management

Retail: Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim

Transport and Logistics: Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder of Careem

Tourism and Hospitality: H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

Technology: Leopoldo Boado, Senior vice president of Business Applications for Eastern and Central Europe and MEA region at Oracle

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE CATEGORIES

Businesswoman of the Year: Nayla Al Khaja, Emirati filmmaker, CEO of Nayla Al Khaja Films

Sustainability Company of the Year: Careem Bike

Disruptor of the Year: Cafu

SME of the Year: Bayzat

Covid-19 Heroes: Ma’an; Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education; and Alwaleed Philanthropies