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This article is a part of the 2023 edition of Entrepreneur Middle East’s annual Follow The Leader series, in which enterprise head honchos from the region talk strategy, industry-specific tactics, and professional challenges as they lead their respective businesses to success.
“I’m a hard worker, and I think I picked up the habit from my father, who always encouraged consistent work, and stressed the importance of doing things the right way, and not taking shortcuts,” says H.H. Shaikha Jawaher Al Khalifa, the founder and Chairperson of the Dubai-headquartered Green Aventurine Holding. “So, work ethic is something that’s important to me, and something I take pride in. I try to show up each day with the same effort and mindset, so that I can deliver consistent results for my team, and be someone they can count on.”
These words by Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal family, are an indication of the values with which she founded the Green Aventurine Group, an integrated investment management practice for the GCC markets, as well as a regional intermediary for cross-border investment management. The group is involved in nine sectors, including real estate, commodity trading, oil and gas, footwear, investment management, marketing and advertising, trade and product distribution, e-commerce, and startup support. “We help you scale up operations with the most sustainable and reliable team,” Al Khalifa says, as she expands on the last of the sectors in the aforementioned list. “Along with helping businesses and startups reach new heights, we believe in giving back to the society through regular corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives with a key focus on women’s empowerment, youth development, engaging in charity work, and investing in environment-conscious businesses.”
Backed by a 21-strong team, Al Khalifa’s current goals for her business include expansion into India, Indonesia, Philippines and Pakistan. “Green Aventurine Holding was founded in October 2022 with three founders, where we merged our businesses into one holding company, which has empowered us all to expand and grow at a tremendous growth rate,” Al Khalifa explains. “I specialize in commodity trading, including oil and gas, with the ability to bring new investments into the holding company mostly from South Asian countries. The group prefers to invest, expand, and operate within the core expertise of all three partners.”
One of the undertakings the Group is focusing on at present is its launch of JK Couture, a shoe line made by specialized ateliers in Italy, which is expected to attract the attention of international department stores and prestigious multi-brand retailers. “We are also planning to launch an e-commerce site in order to make the collections available worldwide,” Al Khalifa adds. “The launch is expected in first quarter 2024.” Al Khalifa also highlights that the group is planning to launch a new real estate brokerage that will cater to consumers looking for a more targeted approach to finding a luxury property. “The service will be focused on a limited number of the UAE’s more affluent areas, an approach that maximizes efficiency for luxury real estate consumers,” she says. “The service will have a modern digital platform with user-friendly next-generation user interface.”
Plus, Al Khalifa and her team are also working on the Green Aventurine Hotel and Resort, a part- boutique accommodation and part-resort hotel that is being built entirely from repurposed shipping containers in the Turkish town of Kas. “The structure began its life as an art gallery, but it has since expanded to host guests in private cabins created by joining two shipping containers together,” Khalifa says. “Architecture designs have been completed, and currently, we are in the process of land acquisition. The project construction is expected to start by end of 2023, and it should be completed by December 2025; the project is fully owned by Green Aventurine Holding LLC.”
Al Khalifa clearly has a lot on her plate when it comes to her business, and she is putting in the hard yards to ensure success for all of her efforts. For other entrepreneurs wanting to follow her lead, Al Khalifa is happy to share her suggestions for them, but also urges them to make it a point to follow their own paths. “Every journey is unique,” she says. “Be agile and flexible, but maintain your determination to succeed. For sustainable high growth, find a coach or mentor, and use them to help you drive the business forward. Show your leadership. Be visible, active, and supportive. Express a clear vision, and show confidence and determination.”
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This article is from Entrepreneur.com
