POWERING UP

Having been with his family business for over 40 years, Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of AlNowais Investments, knows how to leverage opportunities. Right now, his focus is on Africa and green energy.

- JASON LASRADO

It’s 6:30 pm on a Saturday evening, and Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of AlNowais Investments, is waiting to head off for a well-earned annual vacation.

However, until the last moment, the chairman is hard at work. He’s only just ended another meeting when we connect. It’s been a particularly busy time. The chairman’s schedule is always tight, but when we speak to him, his family group had just two weeks previously made a major announcement.

On July 26, 2022, AMEA Power—a subsidiary of AlNowais Investments —in partnership with GreenPower Morocco 1, began construction on a solar power project in Morocco. Once complete, the power plant is expected to produce up to 66,149MWh of power per year, which could supply clean and affordable power to more than 19,200 households, saving more than 39,888 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. This is part of a much larger focus on Africa, with AlNowais Investments saying that it currently has around 3,000MV of projects underway on the continent.

Having been established in 1979, AlNowais Investments today owns, controls, and manages businesses that operate across a variety of sectors, including engineering and construction, oilfield services, healthcare, communication, real estate, hospitality, and infrastructure. According to the company, it recorded revenues of around $1 billion in 2021. The group employs over 6,000 people, with operations spread across over 15 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Among its biggest subsidiaries are the Danway Group, Emircom, Pharmatrade, and Rotana.