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Badr Jafar

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Badr Jafar
بدر جعفر
Badr Jafar at COP28
Born (1979-08-09) August 9, 1979 (age 45)
Sharjah, UAE
CitizenshipEmirati
Alma materEton College
Cambridge University
SpouseRazan Khalifa Al Mubarak
Websitebadrjafar.com

Badr Jafar (Arabic: بدر حميد جعفر‎) is an Emirati businessperson[1] and special envoy for business and philanthropy.[2][3] He is the chief executive officer of Crescent Enterprises, a conglomerate headquartered in the United Arab Emirates.[4]

Early life and education

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Badr Jafar was born and raised in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.[5] In 1994, he continued his education at Eton College and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a master's degree in engineering and additional studies in astrophysics.[6][5] Jafar subsequently attended the Cambridge Judge Business School.[7]

Jafar is a member of the advisory boards of the Cambridge Judge Business School, the American University of Beirut, and the American University of Sharjah. He is also a foundation fellow of Eton College.[8][9][10]

Career

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Badr Jafar is the president of Crescent Enterprises' sister company Crescent Petroleum, chairman of Pearl Petroleum which develops natural gas assets in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and chairman of the executive board of the port operator Gulftainer.[11][7]

In September 2024, Jafar was sworn in by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy.[12][13][14]

Other Work

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Badr Jafar is the chairman of Endeavor UAE.[15] He is also on the board of advisors for Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa)[16] and Gaza Sky Geeks.[17]

He founded the Pearl Initiative in 2010.[18][19]

In 2011, he partnered with music producer Quincy Jones to create Global Gumbo Group to develop music and arts ventures in the Middle East.[20] The group launched Dubai Music Week in 2013.[21]

They produced a charity single titled Tomorrow/Bokra (Arabic: بكرا) to raise funds for educational arts projects for displaced youth in the Middle East.[22] They announced the relaunch of Tomorrow/Bokra with new artists for its 10th anniversary.[23]

In 2011, Jafar was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is a member of its stewardship board.[24][25]

In 2011, Jafar launched the Middle East Theatre Academy (META), a non-profit theatre academy.[26][27]

In 2015, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General to the high level panel on humanitarian financing, formed "to address the increasing gap between resources and financing for the world's humanitarian needs".[28][29]

He launched the Arab World Social Entrepreneurship program in 2016.[30]

Jafar has been a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Advisory Council since 2017. [31]

In 2018, Jafar and his wife joined The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative launched by Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett.[32]

In 2019, he was appointed to UNESCO’s Futures of Education International Commission.[33]

He was named one of the 100 most powerful Arabs by Arabian Business and Gulf Business in 2019 and 2021.[34][35][36][37]

Jafar is the Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy based at the University of Cambridge, which was launched in 2020.[38][39][40]

In September 2021, Jafar announced the launch of the strategic philanthropy initiative at New York University Abu Dhabi.[41] Jafar is on the board of advisors of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the US-based Milken Institute for strategic philanthropy.[42][43]

In May 2024, he was awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.[44][45][46]

Personal life

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He is married to Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, the managing director of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the current president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They have two children.[47][48][49]

References

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  1. ^ Saeed, Saeed (2014-08-05). "We speak to Badr Jafar, the celebrated Emirati executive who mixed his passion for the arts and business skills to create the Middle East Theatre Academy and Dubai Music Week". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  2. ^ Internet, Future (August 22, 2024). "Business & Human Rights". PCHR | Permanent Committee for Human Rights in UAE.
  3. ^ "Badr awarded Honorary fellowship".
  4. ^ Hope, Bradley (3 December 2009). "Crescent's Badr Jafar has world at his feet". The National. Retrieved 5 Nov 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Supporting diversity and innovation". gulfnews.com. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  6. ^ "UNITED ARAB EMIRATES : Badr Jafar - the businessman 2.0 taking hold in the UAE". Intelligence Online. 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  7. ^ a b "Bloomberg - Badr Jafar, CEO, Crescent Enterprises". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  8. ^ "International Advisory Council (IAC)". American University of Beirut. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Advisory Board". Cambridge Judge Business School. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  10. ^ "Sharjah Ruler attends launch of Cambridge Judge Business School Middle East Leadership Research Centre". American University of Sharjah. 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  11. ^ "LEADERS Interview with Badr Jafar, Chief Executive Officer, Crescent Enterprises". www.leadersmag.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  12. ^ Reporter, A. Staff. "COP29: UAE consensus serves as a beacon for multistakeholder climate action". Khaleej Times.
  13. ^ "أمام عبدالله بن زايد.. دفعة من الدبلوماسيين الجدد يؤدون اليمين القانونية". www.mofa.gov.ae.
  14. ^ Jafar, Badr. "Dawn of the UAE as an emerging hub for strategic philanthropy". The National.
  15. ^ "Board of Directors". Endeavor UAE. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28.
  16. ^ "Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival gets underway". Gulfnews. 21 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Gaza: Coding in a conflict zone". BBC News. 2018-10-01. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  18. ^ "The private sector is key in the fight against corruption. Here's why". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  19. ^ "Gulf business leaders and ministers gather at Expo2020 Dubai". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  20. ^ "Quincy Jones and UAE entrepreneur form joint venture | The Los Angeles Independent - Community Newspaper Serving Hollywood and West Hollywood | Music". 2011-07-13. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  21. ^ "Badr Jafar: Changing the face of performing arts in the UAE". The National. 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  22. ^ Schams Elwazer (28 November 2011). "Quincy Jones Arab charity song goes viral". CNN. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  23. ^ "'Tomorrow/Bokra' to be relaunched with new collaborations". gulfnews.com. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  24. ^ "Crescent Enterprises joins World Economic Forum's EDISON Alliance". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  25. ^ "INTERVIEW: Dubai-based CEO Badr Jafar moves the needle at Davos". Arab News. 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  26. ^ "Badr Jafar: Changing the face of performing arts in the UAE". The National. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  27. ^ Rachel Lee (6 February 2011). "Kevin Spacey Plans Middle East Academy". New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  28. ^ "Badr Jafar on UN committee". The National. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  29. ^ "UN appoints panel to address humanitarian funding gap". Arabian Business. 24 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  30. ^ "Ashoka launches Gulf platform for social entrepreneurship". Arabian Business. 9 Apr 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  31. ^ "Badr Jafar". IISS.
  32. ^ "UAE businessmen donate half their wealth to Bill Gates' Giving Pledge". ArabianBusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-23. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  33. ^ "UAE based Badr Jafar appointed to the UNESCO's Futures of Education International Commission". gulfnews.com. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  34. ^ "Revealed: World's Most Powerful Arabs". Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  35. ^ "Expo Leaders - Energy". Expo 2020 List. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  36. ^ "Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2021". Gulf Business. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  37. ^ "Arabian Business - Arab Power List 2021". Archived from the original on 2021-06-03.
  38. ^ "Centre for Strategic Philanthropy". Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  39. ^ "Cambridge University philanthropy school to focus on Middle East, Asia and Africa". The National. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  40. ^ "Centre for Strategic Philanthropy established at University of Cambridge". Alliance magazine. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  41. ^ "NYUAD initiative to boost 'impactful philanthropy' across Middle East". The National. 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  42. ^ "IRC Board of Directors and Board of Advisors". International Rescue Committee (IRC). 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  43. ^ "Speaker | Milken Institute". milkeninstitute.org. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  44. ^ "UAE President honours global dignitaries for contributions to success of COP28". www.cop28.com.
  45. ^ Badam, Ramola Talwar. "Climate champions awarded for efforts to ensure success of Cop28". The National.
  46. ^ "UAE President honours global dignitaries for contributions to success of COP28". www.mediaoffice.abudhabi.
  47. ^ Hope, Bradley. "Crescent's Badr Jafar has world at his feet". The National.
  48. ^ "Badr Jafar and Razan Al Mubarak". Giving Pledge. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  49. ^ "IUCN's Al Mubarak: the conservation leader who says we can work with oil majors". New Statesman. 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
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