Personal Information
Hussain Sajwani born in Kuwait City in 1952, the eldest of five, grew up helping his merchant father in Dubai’s Deira souk – an early lesson in margin and hustle that shaped the future tycoon.
Education
- 1970 – after excelling at Dubai College, he won a government scholarship, headed to Baghdad and spent one year at the city’s medical college before deciding medicine wasn’t his calling.
- 1972-1977 – the grant was re-routed to the United States; at the University of Washington he read industrial engineering and economics, graduating in 1977. Hussain Sajwani education in Seattle exposed him to credit markets, a skill he later used to finance towers off-plan.
Career
- 1981 – fresh out of college, he joined ADNOC subsidiary GASCO as a contracts manager; by 1982 he was running a catering venture that still serves Bechtel and the US Army.
- 2002 – spotting Dubai’s freehold boom, he launched DAMAC Properties, today a 43,700-unit developer with projects from Riyadh to Miami.
- 2019 – his private arm bought Roberto Cavalli; 2022 it added Swiss jeweller de Grisogono, a signal that Hussain Sajwani family was diversifying beyond bricks.
- 2025 – DAMAC Data Centres unveiled a $20 billion US programme jointly announced with Hussain Sajwani Donald Trump, extending a partnership that began with Trump-branded golf courses in Dubai.
Politics
While the billionaire steers clear of party labels, Hussain Sajwani Trump ties made headlines: he hosted the Trump family at New-Year galas and kept their brand alive in the Gulf even as other partners balked. The 2025 data-centre deal gave President-elect Trump a splashy win and underscored Sajwani’s knack for reading political winds.
Wealth
Forbes Middle East’s 2025 list pegs Hussain Sajwani net worth at US $10.2 billion, ranking him third-richest Arab and cementing his place among global real-estate titans.
Charity
Through the Hussain Sajwani–DAMAC Foundation he co-funded Dubai’s “One Million Arab Coders” and, in 2024, pledged AED 150 million for regional STEM scholarships–evidence that Hussain Sajwani children aren’t the only ones who benefit from his fortune.
Family
A low-profile Hussain Sajwani wife is rarely photographed, yet the clan is firmly in the spotlight: eldest son Ali Hussain Sajwani serves as DAMAC’s managing-director of operations; Hussain Sajwani daughter Amira Hussain Sajwani runs luxury spin-offs; younger sons Abbas and Mehdi handle ultra-prime ventures and digital assets. The tight-knit Hussain Sajwani family lives between a Palm Jumeirah mansion and a new Hussain Sajwani house in Emirates Hills.
Scandals
- 2006 – an Egyptian court briefly convicted him in a Red Sea land-deal dispute; arbitration later wiped the slate clean.
- 2020 – social media buzzed with the tag Hussain Sajwani indian after a mislabelled Rich-List meme; he quipped that his only Indian connection was “loving the food,” reminding followers he is staunchly Emirati.
Merits
- 2018 – Arabian Business crowned him “Real-Estate Legend,” citing his role in turning desert into skyline.
- 2022 – Global 100 Hospitality Index placed him among the world’s most influential hotel developers, praising the Trump-linked golf resorts.
Awards
- 2007 – World Retail Congress, Retail Leadership.
- 2015 – CEO Middle East, Lifetime Achievement.
- 2023 – Gulf Business, Career Excellence; Financial Times 2025 profile dubbed him “the Emirati who taught luxury to look east.”
