DAMMAM/MANAMA: One of Saudi Arabia's most prominent businessmen Abdulla Ali Kanoo died Sunday morning. He was 83. He died in his sleep at his home in Manama.
He is survived by wife Mariam, sons Ali and Ahmed and daughters Lamya, Hana and Safia. His immediate relatives were too shocked to comment on his death. He was buried after Asr prayers. A number of top management executives based at the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group headquarters in Dammam went to Bahrain to attend the funeral.
The Kanoo Group that Abdulla Ali Kanoo headed as chairman and chief executive officer is a diversified business conglomerate with activities across the world's most dynamic industries from shipping, travel, machinery, oil and gas, power and industrial projects to exhibition services, courier services, logistics, specialty chemicals and business centers.
He was in Dammam on Saturday for the inauguration of Kanoo Terminal Services' high-tech inland container depot. He was too frail to speak at the event and remained in his wheelchair throughout the ceremony but took a keen interest in the speeches that were delivered by KTS executives and foreign partners. He smiled and shook hands with all those who approached him.
"It is a big loss for Saudi Arabia and the Eastern Province in particular," said Jasim M. Al-Yaqout, general manager of the Ministry of Culture and Information in the Eastern Province. "He was a nice man and was endowed with a sharp business acumen," he said. "It was this attribute of his that led him to play a key role in promoting a number of businesses."
Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena said Kanoo was a fine gentleman. "He was not just a big businessman. He was a towering personality with a kind heart. He cared for others. He got along well with all people. He was a rarity and will be missed by all of us," he said. "Our prayers are with his brothers and children."
Businessman Salman Al-Jishi paid fulsome tribute to the genius of Kanoo. "He was a pioneering businessman in many ways. He created new businesses and scripted many success stories. He earned everybody's admiration and respect with the way he ran and managed the family-owned group. Kanoo ultimately became a role model group for all family-run businesses. His contribution to the growth of Saudi private sector has been immense."
"I am very sorry to hear about his death," said Yasin Alireza, a Jeddah-based businessman. The Alirezas and the Kanoos, he pointed out, have had long-term family and business ties. "Abdulla Ali Kanoo's death is a big loss for both the Saudi business community and the society at large because he was a very respectable member of a very respectable family," said Alireza.
Kanoo Terminal Services General Manager S. Krishna Kumar said he was shocked beyond words when he heard about Kanoo's death. "More so because despite his ill health he attended yesterday's inaugural ceremony of our new facility in Dammam. That only showed his fighting spirit. He continued to lead by example till the end ... He had this inimitable charm and was a great human being."
Journalist Saeed Haider, who reported extensively on the group's successes in the 1980s and 1990s, described Kanoo as the father of modern business in Saudi Arabia and a strong proponent of Kingdom's diversification plan. "In these last 40 years that he has been at the helm of this path-breaking business group, he infused modern techniques and defined a prominent role for professionals in otherwise family-owned business houses."
Besides being the head of Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group, Abdulla Ali Kanoo was also chairman of the National Bank of Bahrain, International Paint Saudi Arabia Ltd., Kanoo Terminal Services Ltd., King Wilkinson (Saudi Arabia) Ltd., AXA Cooperative Insurance Co., Inspectorate International (SA) Ltd. and Port Services Containers Co. He was also the vice chairman of Saudi Arabia's United Arab Shipping Agencies Co. Ltd.
By SIRAJ WAHAB
© Arab News 2010
