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After a life full of giving and working in many sectors, the prominent Emirati economist, Issa Saleh Al Gurg, passed away at the age of 93.
Easa Al Gurg was born in 1927 and studied in his childhood and youth at Al Falah and Ahmadiyya schools, where he learned the principles of arithmetic, the Arabic language and the Islamic religion. Saleh Al Gurg, and laid the foundations of its success and growth until it became one of the most prominent business groups in the retail, construction, industrial and real estate sectors.
It is impossible to talk about the business sector in the UAE without mentioning the late, God willing, Easa Saleh Al Gurg, the inspiring entrepreneur and visionary that contributed to laying the first foundations for the establishment of the UAE, and in addition to his activity in the business sector, the late had an important imprint in the history of the state Emirates, as a member of the deliberations committee in the Trucial Coast Development Office. In 1971, the late was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Trucial Coast Development Council.
His career began at the Dubai Post Office, then joined the Bahrain Post Office, and worked as an employee at the Imperial Bank, known as the British Bank for the Middle East. The late Issa Saleh Al Gurg also held the position of UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom. and the Republic of Ireland between 1991 and 2009. While the founding father of the state, the late, God willing, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, honored him in 1997, where he was awarded the Zayed II Medal, the highest civilian honor in the UAE, and he was awarded the 1991 Gulf Businessman Award.
Al Gurg, who was Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in Britain, was awarded the title of “Sir” by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland in 2008 as the culmination of a busy diplomatic career during which he represented the country well, and worked to bring the two friendly countries closer. He was also awarded the Order of Excellence of the British Empire, in the rank of Commander, in 1990.
In addition to his important contributions to the development and growth of the country, Easa Saleh Al Gurg played a pivotal role in charitable work in the country, as he participated in many charitable activities over several decades, and considered that the establishment of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charitable Foundation was the best decision he had taken. The Foundation was established in 2010 by a decision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him. The Foundation was funded from the founder’s private funds and real estate.
The late founded the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, and served as its chairman between 1960 and 2022. He also founded the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charitable Foundation, and was chairman of the board of directors of each of the Al Gurg Fosork Company, the Arab Explosives Company, and Al Gurg Unilever Group. As Issa Saleh Al Gurg moves to the side of his Lord, he leaves an unforgettable imprint in the business sector in the country, and a good memory in the hearts of all those who knew him and those who reached his white hand, and the students who benefited from scholarships to continue their education in educational institutions supported by the Al Gurg family.