CEO Today Middle East Awards

41 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Middle East Awards 2018 QATAR ISSA ABDUL SALAM ABU ISSA CEO of Salam International FIRM PROFILE Salam’s roots were founded by Abdul Salam Mohammed Abu Issa, an aspiring businessman who at a very early age left his birthplace in Palestine to seek better opportunities in the Arabian Peninsula. When he arrived in Doha in 1950 he brought with him a camera. More importantly, he brought a talent for capturing on film the personality of the land and its people – a concept entirely new in Qatar which captured the imagination of Qataris. The history of the Salam organization dates back to 1952 when Abdul Salam Abu Issa opened the first studio and film processing laboratory in Doha with the name “Salam Studio.” In 1954 he converted the adjoining restaurant into a gift shop and jointly, the establishment was named “Salam Studio & Stores.” The business flourished. By 1963 the original showroom became too small and a move was made to larger premises. The next ten years saw a consolidation of business, with much travel to distant countries in pursuit of manufacturers and new products for an increasingly discerning clientele. The rapid growth of Salam Studio & Stores accelerated in tandem with the economy. The pace continued through an ever increasing program of diversification and international expansion into the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Within a few years, Salam’s operations would encompass studios, stores and companies for wholesale, retail merchandise and services serving the entire Gulf region under the umbrella of Salam Holdings. In June of 2002, Salam Holdings merged into Salam International Investment Limited and furthermore, in October 2005, Salam Group merged into Salam International, both landmark examples in transforming family-owned businesses into public shareholding. ABOUT ISSA ABDUL SALAM ABU ISSA Chairman of the Board of Directors of Salam International and Salam Bounian. Mr. Issa Abdulsalam Abu Issa is also the Vice-Chairman of Serene Real Estate Co. Lebanon and the Secretary General of Qatari Businessmen Association. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Davos, the Arab Business Council and the Board of Trustees on the Al-Shaqab Equestrian Academy. He is also a Board Member in many other esteemed organizations in the region. Mr. Issa holds a degree in Business Administration from San Diego University - USA, and has more than 30 years of professional experience. Issa Abdul Salam Abu-Issa (born 20 September 1955) is a business magnate from Qatar. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Salam International Investment Limited. As the head of one of Qatar’s largest and best-established companies with six decades of heritage, Issa Abu-Issa led the transformation of Salam from being one of Qatar’s major family-owned businesses into a public shareholding company which operates both locally and in the Middle East Region. www.salaminternational.com