Al Ghurair Group
A Dubai-based Emirati family business group with manufacturing, real estate and investment operations across several international markets.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Al Ghurair Group, also known as Saif Al Ghurair Group, is a diversified Emirati family business headquartered in Dubai. Its origins are associated with Ahmad Al Ghurair and the Al Ghurair family's commercial activities in Dubai, which initially included pearl diving and later developed into industrial, financial and property interests. Ahmad Al Ghurair formally established the group in 1960 to coordinate the family's expanding business activities. The group is structured around three broad areas: manufacturing, real estate and investments. Manufacturing has included petrochemicals, aluminium extrusion and fabrication, steel processing, flexible and corrugated packaging, cans and related industrial products. Its industrial portfolio has included Taghleef Industries, Adeka Al Ghurair Additives, Gulf Extrusions, Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company, the Royal Engineering Fabrication Company, Arabian Packaging, Arabian Flexible Packaging, Arabian Can Industry and Al Ghurair Iron & Steel. These businesses position the group within industrial supply chains rather than as a single consumer-facing product brand. Real estate activities have included the development and management of shopping centres and other property assets. Al Ghurair Centre, opened in 1981, is identified as one of the group's early landmark projects and was described as the Gulf's first shopping mall. The portfolio later expanded to include BurJuman Centre, a luxury shopping destination opened in 1991, and Reef Mall, which opened in Dubai's Deira district in 2005. Al Ghurair Real Estate oversees the group's property interests. The group's investment history also includes a major role in the development of Mashreq Bank. The family founded Bank of Oman in Dubai in 1967, and the bank later adopted the Mashreq name. The banking business became separate from the operating group after the family's broader restructuring, but it remains an important part of the Al Ghurair family's commercial history. During the 1990s, the family reorganized its interests into complementary entities. Saif Al Ghurair retained the group associated with the Saif Al Ghurair name, while Al Ghurair Investment, associated with Abdulla Al Ghurair, concentrated on finance, food and construction-related activities. The restructuring was completed by 1994. Because the two entities share family origins and similar naming, they should not be treated as a single undifferentiated corporate organization. The group's manufacturing expansion continued through joint ventures, acquisitions and new facilities. Taghleef Industries was created through the combination of Dubai Poly Film with other businesses and subsequently expanded through acquisitions in Europe and North America. Gulf Extrusions participated in the creation of Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company in Abu Dhabi's Kizad industrial zone. Other partnerships brought Japanese industrial expertise into the group's petrochemical additives and steel operations. The group also developed aluminium fabrication capabilities for automotive components through REFCO. Al Ghurair Group is therefore best understood as a privately held, family-controlled industrial and property group with historical links to banking and consumer infrastructure. Its public profile is strongest in the United Arab Emirates, while several manufacturing businesses have operated internationally. Specific current financial results, a complete corporate structure and a comprehensive list of present-day subsidiaries are not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Al Ghurair Group traces its origins to the commercial activities of Ahmad Al Ghurair and his son Saif in Dubai during the 1930s. The family initially participated in pearl diving before developing broader trading and industrial interests. Ahmad Al Ghurair established the group in 1960 to organize the family's expanding business activities and subsequently transferred management responsibilities to his five sons: Saif, Abdulla, Majid, Marwan and Jomaa. The group became involved in several foundational industrial projects in the United Arab Emirates, including the country's first cement factory, flour mill and sugar refinery. Its financial interests also became significant. In 1967, the family established Bank of Oman in Dubai, and in 1969 it acquired the remaining minority interest associated with Ottoman Bank. The institution later became Mashreq Bank and developed into one of the United Arab Emirates' major private banks. The bank's later corporate identity was changed to Mashreq in 1994. Industrial diversification accelerated during the 1970s and 1980s. Gulf Extrusions was founded in 1976 and began operating in 1979. The group entered commercial real estate with the opening of Al Ghurair Centre in 1981. Arabian Packaging was established in 1982, adding corrugated packaging to the group's manufacturing activities. These developments established the combination of industrial production and property ownership that remains central to the group's historical identity. The family reorganized its interests during the 1990s. Saif Al Ghurair continued to lead the group that became known as Saif Al Ghurair Group, while Abdulla Al Ghurair's separate Al Ghurair Investment focused on finance, food and construction. The separation was completed by 1994 and is important when distinguishing Al Ghurair Group from other businesses carrying the Al Ghurair name. The property portfolio expanded with BurJuman Centre, which opened in 1991 and was later enlarged. Reef Mall opened in Deira in 2005, extending the group's presence in Dubai's retail property sector. In manufacturing, Dubai Poly Film was founded in 1998. Arabian Can Industry followed in 1999 and developed from food-can production into a broader manufacturer of cans, handles, lids and other packaging components. The group's industrial base expanded further in the 2000s and 2010s. Al Ghurair Iron & Steel began developing a cold-rolling and galvanizing complex in Mussafah in 2006, with the facility opening in 2008. Dubai Poly Film was combined with AKPP and Technopack in 2006 to create Taghleef Industries. Taghleef then acquired Radici Films in 2008, Applied Extrusion Technologies in the United States in 2012 and Derprosa in Spain in 2014, giving the business a wider international manufacturing footprint. In 2011, Gulf Extrusions formed a joint venture with Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation to establish Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company in Kizad. The same year, Nippon Steel acquired a minority interest in Al Ghurair Iron & Steel, while Al Ghurair Petrochemicals partnered with Japan's Adeka Corporation to create Adeka Al Ghurair Additives. In 2013, the group's wholly owned Royal Engineering Fabrication Company opened a new Jebel Ali facility for aluminium automotive components. The group is led by later generations of the Al Ghurair family. Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair serves as chairman and Majid Saif Al Ghurair as chief executive officer. The supplied reference material does not establish a complete current subsidiary list, detailed financial performance or the precise status of every historical investment, so those matters require separate verification.
- 2013
REFCO opens Jebel Ali facility
[1]The Royal Engineering Fabrication Company opened a new plant producing aluminium components for automobiles.
- 2011
Industrial joint ventures established
[1]The group entered aluminium, steel and petrochemical partnerships involving TALEX, Nippon Steel and Adeka.
- 2008
Al Ghurair Iron & Steel plant opens
[1]The group's cold-rolling and galvanizing complex in Mussafah began operations.
- 2006
Taghleef Industries formed
[1]Dubai Poly Film was combined with AKPP and Technopack to form Taghleef Industries.
- 2005
Reef Mall opens
[1]The group opened Reef Mall in Dubai's Deira district, targeting middle-income shoppers.
- 1999
Arabian Can Industry established
[1]Arabian Can Industry was created to manufacture food cans and later a wider range of metal packaging products.
- 1998
Dubai Poly Film established
[1]The group founded Dubai Poly Film to manufacture biaxially oriented polypropylene film.
- 1994
Family restructuring completed
[1]The family's commercial interests were reorganized into separate but related business groups.
- 1991
BurJuman Centre opens
[1]BurJuman Centre opened in Dubai as a luxury shopping mall.
- 1982
Arabian Packaging founded
[1]The group established Arabian Packaging, a corrugated-packaging manufacturer.
Products and positioning
A privately held Emirati family conglomerate focused on industrial manufacturing, real estate and strategic investments.
Industrial films and packaging materials · 2006
Taghleef Industries
Taghleef Industries is the group's film-manufacturing platform, formed through the combination of Dubai Poly Film with AKPP and Technopack. Its expansion included acquisitions in Europe and North America, broadening its role in the international flexible-packaging supply chain.
Aluminium extrusion · 1976
Gulf Extrusions
Gulf Extrusions manufactures extruded aluminium products for industrial and construction applications. Established in the 1970s, it became one of the group's principal aluminium businesses and later participated in the TALEX joint venture in Abu Dhabi.
Steel processing · 2006
Al Ghurair Iron & Steel
Al Ghurair Iron & Steel operates in cold-rolled and galvanized steel. Its Mussafah complex represented a major expansion into downstream steel processing and was supported by a later minority investment from Nippon Steel.
Corrugated packaging · 1982
Arabian Packaging
Arabian Packaging produces corrugated packaging for commercial and industrial supply chains. Founded in the early 1980s, it forms part of the group's broader packaging manufacturing portfolio.
Metal packaging · 1999
Arabian Can Industry
Arabian Can Industry began with three-piece food cans and expanded into cans for food, edible oils and industrial oils, as well as neck-in cans, handled cans, lids and other components.
Petrochemical additives · 2011
Adeka Al Ghurair Additives
Adeka Al Ghurair Additives is a petrochemical additives venture established with Japan's Adeka Corporation. It represents the group's participation in specialty chemical manufacturing and materials-related industrial markets.
Shopping centre · 1991
BurJuman Centre
BurJuman Centre is a Dubai luxury shopping mall developed by the group. Opened in 1991, it became one of the group's best-known real-estate assets and was subsequently expanded.
Shopping centre · 2005
Reef Mall
Reef Mall is a Dubai shopping centre opened in Deira in 2005. Its stated market orientation was middle-income consumers, complementing the group's more luxury-oriented BurJuman property.
Brand decisions
2011
Expand through industrial partnershipsStrategyBackground
The group sought to deepen its aluminium, steel and petrochemical manufacturing capabilities.
Action taken
It entered partnerships involving TALEX, Nippon Steel and Adeka Corporation.
Aftermath
The partnerships broadened the group's industrial relationships and supported expansion in aluminium extrusion, steel processing and chemical additives.
2006
Create Taghleef Industries through a business combinationM&ABackground
The group's film and packaging activities were distributed across Dubai Poly Film, AKPP and Technopack.
Action taken
The three businesses were merged and renamed Taghleef Industries.
Aftermath
Taghleef became an international platform that later expanded through acquisitions in Europe and North America.
1994
Separate the family's business groupsStrategyBackground
The Al Ghurair family's interests had expanded across finance, industry, food, construction and property, creating a need for a clearer organizational division.
Action taken
The family completed a restructuring in which Saif Al Ghurair retained the group associated with the Saif Al Ghurair name, while Al Ghurair Investment became a separate related enterprise.
Aftermath
The restructuring created two complementary organizations and made it necessary to distinguish Al Ghurair Group from Al Ghurair Investment in later corporate references.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/al-ghurair-group · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled