Saleh Abdullah Kamel (Arabic: صالح عبد الله كامل) (born 1940/1941 in Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi billionaire businessman. He has a net worth estimated at $1.95Billion. He is the chairman and founder of the Dallah al Baraka Group (DBHC), one of the Middle East’s largest conglomerates. He is also the chairman of the General Council for Islamic Banks and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.
Overview
As of April 2016, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$2.1 billion. Saleh Kamel is the founder and chairman of Dallah Albaraka, a multi-national holding company with investments including the financial, banking, healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, transportation, and operations and maintenance sectors.
Career
He is Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the Islamic Chamber of Commerce. Kamel has been called “the father of contemporary Islamic finance”, receiving Malaysia’s Royal Award for Islamic Finance in November 2010. He is currently involved in efforts to significantly expand trade among member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries. Kamel is heavily involved in the promotion of Jeddah as a leading international port and hub for global commerce. In his capacity as chairman of DBHC and the JCC, he has led numerous projects to promote the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a regional economic force . Kamel has stated that his vision is to combine the efforts of his DBHC and the Chamber of commerce with ongoing mega-infrastructure projects such as King Abdullah Port, the Economic City, the new railways, and the King Abdullah International Airport to catalyze domestic business across the Kingdom.
In his capacity as one of Saudi Arabia’s leading businessmen, Kamel continues to actively promote philanthropy. In an interview with Arab News in 2012, Kamel estimated the total value of Islamic zakat in the Kingdom at SR 1 trillion. “Such a huge amount could be used to solve many economic and social problems in the country.” He said that people should pay zakat for real estate properties that have been offered for sale. “We Muslims should understand the economic wisdom behind the system if we collect and use zakat properly for it can bring about substantial improvement in our economic conditions. If we had collected zakat from real estate property we would not have faced housing or land problems.” He recalled discussing this matter with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “I can tell you,” he said that Islamic economics offers solutions for world problems.” Referring to global economic crises he said they would not have occurred if we had implemented an Islamic Hadith by the holy Prophet which says, “Do not sell what you do not own or possess.” In 2010, his son, CEO of DHBC, donated $10 million to Yale University to establish the Abdallah S. Kamel Center for the Study of Islamic Law and Civilization at Yale Law School
In addition to being chairman and member of many boards within his companies and sister companies, Kamel is a member of the boards of trustees and directors in many social, charitable and cultural societies and foundations such as the Arab Thought Foundation, King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Gifted, the international academy for info & Media Sciences, Arab Academy for Financial & Banking and the Islamic Solidarity fund, Sheikh Saleh Kamel is also the president of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Council of Saudi Chambers and Federation of GCC Chambers.
| Saleh Abdullah Kamel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1940/1941 (age 75–76) Saudi Arabia |
| Residence | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality | Saudi |
| Alma mater | King Abdulaziz University |
| Known for | Chairman and founder, Dallah al Baraka Group |
| Net worth | US$2.1 billion (April 2016) |
| Spouse(s) | married |
| Children | 2 |
Saudi businessman Saleh Kamel is the founder and chairman of Dalla Al Baraka Group (DBG) who has an estimated net worth of $2.2 billion as of April 2016 according to Forbes. His earnings make him the eighth richest person in Saudi Arabia and 785th in the list of World Billionaires. DBG is the country’s conglomerate with business interests in several industries such as banking, real estate development and food production. Also, it is involved in developing a light rail system, an urban community and a mosque around Mecca.
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