By TCN News,
Kozhikode: MA Yussufali, Managing Director of the Emke Group, has been named the most influential Indian in the GCC by the ‘Arabian Business’. Businessmen in UAE dominate the list of 100 most influential Indians in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).
“This year’s list proves beyond any doubt the huge contribution Indians have made to the development of the Gulf in the past few years”, said Edward Attwood, deputy editor of the ‘Arabian Business’, according to reports. “What is fascinating about the list is that many of those close to the top of it came to the region several years ago without any real income. Through sheer hard work, they have built empires worth billions of dollars.”
MA Yussufali, Managing Director of the Emke Group
Several Malayalis have secured place in the list of the ‘Arabian Business’ – P Muhammedali of the Galfar Group (fifth), PNC Menon – Shobha Developers (ninth), Faizal Kottikollon – KEF Holdings (24th), Santhosh Joseph – Dubai Pearl I (26th), Surya Subrahmanian – Emirates NBD (29th), Dr Azad Mooppan – DM Healthcare Group (44th), CK Menon – Behzad Group (46th), Suresh Kumar – Emirates NBD Capital (53rd), Korathe Muhammed – KM Trading Group (57th), MM Ramachandran – Atlas Jewellery (67th), Thumbay Moideen – Thumbay Group and Ajman Hospital (78th), Ravi Pillai – Nassar Al Hajiri Corporation (85th), Joy Alukkas – Joy Alukkas Group (86th) and Madhav Kurup – Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (89) have been named in the list.
Mr Yusuffali’s Emke Group owns the Lulu chain of hypermarkets headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It has offices in 29 countries; employs around 27,000 people (including 22,000 Indians) and has an annual turnover of $3.75 bn. He had earlier topped the list of 10 most influential foreigners prepared by the Wallstreet Journal. He has been honoured by several awards, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 2008 and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2005. He was also elected by the business community in Abu Dhabi as the member of the Director Board of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 2005, in the first ever election held to the body. He was re-elected to the post in 2009. He was highly appreciated for his role as mediator in the Smart City venture in Kochi, which is a dream project of Kerala. Yusuffali is involved in many social, charitable and humanitarian activities both in India as well as in Gulf countries.