Chairman, Al Ghurair
Search every verified Abdulla Bin ahmad al ghurair interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2020 interview with CNBC, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair discussed the work of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, which he chairs. He stated that the foundation initially promoted open learning through online degrees but encountered a barrier when regional governments would not accredit such degrees. He noted that the UAE later endorsed degrees from the top 200 universities worldwide for accreditation and job applications. Al Ghurair also said that 30 percent of university graduates in the Arab world are unemployed because the output of universities does not match job requirements, and he called for greater integration between universities and the labor market. Al Ghurair, who is also chairman of Mashreq Bank, commented on the evolution of the finance sector, stating that economies change and institutions must develop digital products and services to meet customer demand. He said that simple jobs will disappear due to artificial intelligence and robotics, and that education should focus on critical thinking and problem-solving. In a 2017 interview, he described the foundation’s focus on selecting high-achieving students from low-income families and providing them access to regional and international universities, including the American University in Cairo.
“We thought let's promote open learning — it means that you can get your degree from online universities. We thought this was a brilliant idea and we got stuck with our regional government because they will not accredit any degree coming from online university.”
“I'm happy to say that UAE have endorsed the top 200 university in the world — if they give you an online degree, be it bachelor or master, they will be accredited and you can use that degree for job application.”
“The finance is evolving — economies change and we have to have products, tools, services to do the service this requirement. The country is evolving, moving digital and the customer is also demanding convenience so all our institutions in the region have to also go digital.”
“It is changing — a simple job will disappear because artificial intelligence and robotics will take over, so we will need to have more critical-thinking education: people who can analyze issues and have solutions.”
CNBC's Tania Bryer meets Emirati business leader and philanthropist, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, in Dubai to discuss the work of his family's foundation for education and the importance of collaboration between universities and employers.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, CEO of Mashreq Group and chairman of the board of trustees of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, describes his philanthropic path, highlighting the foundation's objectives and significant impact as well as AUC's role in the global community.
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Abdulla Bin ahmad al ghurair.