Abdulla Al Humaidi: A Look At KEH Group’s CEO
Many people are understandably attracted to a career as an entrepreneur. Being your own boss, bringing your vision to life, and earning lots of money while doing it is nothing to be sniffed at. Many also understand that a career as an entrepreneur is no easy feat; it often takes many years of hard work, sacrifices, and long hours to make it. Somebody who knows this better than most is Abdulla Al Humaidi. He is a renowned Kuwaiti entrepreneur who has spent the last 13 years bringing his vision for ambitious real estate and entertainment developments to international markets.
Abdulla Al Humaidi has moulded his entire entrepreneurial career on his ability to remain focused on entrepreneurial trends and the end goal, making him a brilliant example of what it means to have natural entrepreneurial spirit.
Who Exactly is Abdulla Al Humaidi?
While Abdulla Al Humaidi is not one to spend too much time in the spotlight, he is still a world-renowned Kuwaiti entrepreneur.
Prior to going into business, Abdulla Al Humaidi studied medicine for seven years at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland. Al Humaidi says that it was his time working in the international medical field that allowed him to develop his business and finance skills.
A member of the prominent Al Humaidi Family which began its business dealings in the 1940s, Abdulla Al Humaidi is currently bringing a range of exciting investments and developments to life through his investment company, Kuwaiti European Holding Group.
Abdulla Al Humaidi’s Kuwaiti European Holding Group
Abdulla Al Humaidi is the founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Vice Chairman of Kuwaiti European Holding (KEH) Group. The organization was founded in 2008 and manages the international assets of Kuwait’s prominent Al Humaidi Family. It has a number of key investments around the world in countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Under the leadership of Abdulla Al Humaidi, KEH Group has excelled on a strong growth trajectory as it focuses on international real estate development. Not only is KEH Group bringing more tourism to the Red Sea in Egypt by building the Aqueous Resort, but it is responsible for other lucrative developments including hotels, gyms, football clubs, and more.
One of Abdulla Al Humaidi’s hotly-anticipated projects is the London Resort, a US$3.6 billion amusement park that’s set to open in 2024. The London Resort will feature a range of different themed parks, entertainment spaces, shopping areas, and more.
Ambitious projects like these are only possible due to the innovative vision of Abdulla Al Humaidi. He believes that investing in areas such as tourism, entertainment, and real estate are the best ways for people to pay to enjoy something that you have created, and, in the process, benefit shareholders with strong financial results.
The Importance of Education
Education is important; you cannot be an entrepreneur without staying in the know. Education doesn’t necessarily mean fancy college degrees, however. In the context of entrepreneurship, it means staying educated about what’s going on in your field and what’s happening in the world around you.
By staying educated and ahead of the latest happenings and developments, entrepreneurs can spot new trends, learn about the latest pain points, and think about existing problems in different ways. This allows them to then develop solutions that conform with these trends, solve these problems, and satisfy market demand.
Education is clear in the work of Abdulla Al Humaidi; he constantly stays educated about his business, the markets it operates in, and the world in general. This is achieved through networking with others in his field, reading the news, and engaging in projects where he can extract value by learning something new. This dramatically contributes to his success as the CEO of KEH Group and allows him to mastermind exciting new projects like the London Resort.
Why Abdulla Al Humaidi Prioritizes International Growth
Abdulla Al Humaidi is known for his growth mindset; growing his business operations is his number one priority, and this is illustrated by his ambitious projects. The escalating nature of his real estate and entertainment developments—the London Resort and Aqueous Resort especially—show that Abdulla Al Humaidi strives for nothing short of excellence.
Without a growth mindset, Abdulla Al Humaidi may never have been able to drive his business towards making these ambitious projects a reality.
The London Resort
The London Resort is a US$3.6 billion mega-development that will sit a mere 17-minute journey from Central London. The theme park, which is set to open in 2024, has already been referred to by many as the UK’s version of Disneyland, Paris. Indeed, once complete, the London Resort will be Europe’s largest entertainment park development since Disneyland opened in the 1990s.
Through the London Resort, which will feature a wide range of themed areas, shopping experiences, and entertainment options, Abdulla Al Humaidi hopes to tap into the valuable London tourism market. Each year, around 30 million tourists visit London (up from 19 million in 2016) and contribute billions to the UK economy.
Aqueous Resort
Aqueous Resort is an equally ambitious project located near the Red Sea in Egypt. While the Red Sea attracts fewer tourist numbers than London, Aqueous Resort is still an ambitious development that will be set over several square meters of beautiful coastline. Currently in the second phase of development, the resort will offer tourists and residents private access to one of the world’s many natural wonders.
When complete, Aqueous Resort will feature a four-star hotel built around several interconnected pools that guests will be able to access from their rooms. The resort will also include entertainment spaces, relaxation areas, and a range of excursions and activities that will enable guests to experience the natural beauty of the region.
Abdulla Al Humaidi’s Focus on Sustainability
Al Humaidi knows how important sustainability is, and he has made it a core theme of both the London Resort and Aqueous Resort.
At the London Resort, efforts will be made to ensure that the park will have a net positive impact on the local area in the long term. Al Humaidi says that this will be achieved by creating lots of greenspace and protective wildlife refuges to safeguard biodiversity and protect London’s wildlife populations. Meanwhile, greenspaces will be open to members of the public, widening access to the area’s natural beauty.
At the Aqueous Resort, KEH Group is taking care to ensure that the building of the resort doesn’t negatively impact the area’s natural beauty. They are also ensuring that the local geography is being preserved as much as possible. This will be achieved through development plans that delicately work around the natural area and wildlife.
Al Humaidi’s Passion for Football
Aside from exciting real estate and entertainment developments, Al Humaidi has invested heavily in another personal passion: English football.
In 2013, Al Humaidi saw an opportunity to rescue a fledgling football club in the nation’s lowest tier—Ebbsfleet United—and immediately rose to the challenge. Immediately after taking over the club from MyFC, Al Humaidi shook things up by appointing former Charlton Athletic player Steve Brown as the club’s coach and saw positive results almost overnight.
The same year that Al Humaidi took over the club, it broke a record by achieving nine wins in succession. This saw the team reach the playoff finals for its tier for promotion to the next tier of English football. In the years that followed, Ebbsfleet was transformed from a club on the brink of bankruptcy to a much-loved and respected team known by all followers of English football.
Al Humaidi recognizes that the success of Ebbsfleet isn’t solely down to him; the players and fans make a huge impact, too.
As such, Al Humaidi makes it his point to recognize both his players and his team’s supporters through a series of unique awards. The annual ‘Ebbsfleet United Supporters’ Player of the Season Award’ gives his team’s supporters the opportunity to poll on who they think the player of the season is.
Meanwhile, the ‘Bruce Sewell Award’ recognizes non-player individuals who have made a significant contribution to the success of Ebbsfleet. This often goes to members of the community who help to spread the club’s charitable mission. Recently, it was awarded to Chris Judge for his work in preparing the stadium for the current football season.
What’s Next for Al Humaidi?
It’s safe to say that Abdulla Al Humaidi is far from being your typical entrepreneur. With a passion for environmentalism, charity, and bringing people together, his investments and developments help to make a positive change to peoples’ lives.
Given that he is already spearheading some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious projects, it will be interesting to see what this renowned Kuwaiti entrepreneur has in store next for the world.