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Raju Harmeek A
B
Shroff Singh C
D
Managing director Founder and Managing Director E
REGAL GROUP PLAN B GROUP
Diversifi ed Media F
G
HARMEEK SINGH KNOWS HOW TO
work his way up the ladder. The Indian- H
born businessman is the founder and I
managing director of Plan B Group,
which manages some of the UAE’s J
biggest public events, including Dubai K
Gaurav Rugby 7s and the Standard Chartered L
Dubai Marathon. But his career in the
Sinha UAE started with an AED2,000 salary in M
2003, when he came to the Gulf country
following the closure of his family’s N
business in India. In the span of just
CEO two years, he was earning as much as O
INSIGNIA WORLDWIDE AED200,000 a month. Shortly after, he P
Media opened Plan B, where he was the sole
employee. Fast forward to less than a Q
A VIBRANT THOUGHT LEADER, decade after, and Singh’s firm employs R
Gaurav Sinha has been working in over 500 workers.
LONG AGO, IN 1952, VASU SHROFF the media industry for the past 24 S
founded the Regal Group on the banks years and is known as an innovator T
of Dubai Creek. In the decades that in creative strategy and a protagonist Vardaraj
followed, the company – now with Raju in his field. His company, Insignia U
at the helm – has grown to become one Worldwide, offers integrated V
of the region’s most successful textile strategy, branding, design and Shetty
companies. The company, however, communication services for travel, W
has moved far beyond its traditional hospitality and destination brands.
core business, and has expanded Headquartered in Dubai, the Chairman X
into spots, technology, investments, agency provides its services to over RAMEE GROUP Y
industry and real estate. 180 hotels across 20 countries, nearly Hospitality
Raju – a graduate of the London 165 restaurants and 30 wellness Z
Business School – has a keen eye and leisure brands. It has been VARDARAJ SHETTY HAS BUILT ONE
for what the company’s next steps ranked among the 30 Most Admired of the region’s largest home-grown
should be. Among the best example Companies by Arabian Business chains, the Ramee Group of Hotels,
is the firm’s partnering on the UAE’s and in the Top 100 SMEs by Dubai Resorts and Apartments, with over
first Vivanta by Taj, a 46-storey Government. Not content with all 30 properties across the UAE, Bahrain,
combination of hotel rooms and that, in 2016, Gaurav established Oman and India; in addition to a
branded apartments currently under Quillon, a development advisory shopping mall in Chennai.
construction in Dubai’s Jumeirah and white-label hotel management Last year he acquired 100 percent of
Lakes Towers area. According to Regal company, which currently represents Bahrain’s Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa,
Group, the project will be completed approximately $2.4bn worth of real where he previously owned 40 percent.
by the end of the year. estate projects in Asia and Africa. He also built the $18m Juffair Views
Driven by the familiar business apartments in the island kingdom.
maxim of “keep it simple” – Shroff is The group will open a $95.2m
also working to ensure Regal Group $9.8bn Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa in Dubai’s
remains a strong player in all its Business Bay by 2019, and add three
business verticals, ensuring that a The revenue forecast for the UAE more hotels in Oman, as well as eight
longstanding company continues to hospitality by 2020, according to in India. Ramee Group also revealed it
be successful in the future. investment bank Alpen Capital is looking at Iran for possible hotels.
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