Spotlight
Al Mana
Information last updated on July 23, 2025
About the Founder and Founding Story
Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana was born in 1912. His family originated from the village of Ushager, approximately 200 kilometers north of what is today Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[5] Early in his professional career, Saleh worked as a merchant in Saudi Arabia, gaining experience in trade and commerce.[6] This period of his life as a merchant laid the foundation for his future business ventures. After gaining experience in the importing and trading industry, Saleh Al Mana settled in Qatar and founded Al Mana in 1951, continuing his involvement in the trading business. [7]
Growth Phase
As Qatar’s economy flourished with the oil boom in the 1950s and 1960s, Saleh Al Mana expanded and diversified his business, growing in parallel with the local economy, and became among the first to be involved in establishing and developing the country’s import and trade operations.[8] He was among the first to import and sell cars and heavy equipment in Qatar, and in the late 1950s, the company founded a major automotive distribution subsidiary, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co.[9]
In the following decades, Al Mana diversified into other sectors, including investment, construction, real estate development, and engineering, and the family business gradually saw the involvement of Saleh’s sons: Hisham (b. 1965), Kamal (b. 1967), and Wissam (b. 1975).[10]
In 1975, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. formed a partnership with Nissan, marking a turning point that established its dominance in the country’s automotive sector, ultimately becoming the exclusive agent of Nissan in Qatar.[11] The company also became the sole national distributor of Infiniti, and in 2003, it gained sole distributorship for Renault.[12]
After Saleh Al Mana passed away in the early 1990s, his three sons, Hisham, Kamal, and Wissam, took over and expanded the business, with Hisham overseeing the strategic development of the Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Group.[13] In 1995, Al Mana operated McDonald’s first branch located in Doha’s Al Sadd neighborhood, marking the international chain’s entry into the local market. As of 2024, McDonald’s Qatar had expanded to 77 locations nationally, all fully owned and operated by Al Mana Restaurants & Food Co, a subsidiary of Al Mana Group.[14] In 1997, the business was restructured to enable the three brothers to manage their respective business interests autonomously. As part of this process, Hisham assumed responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the holding company and its automotive division, while Wissam and Kamal took charge of the retail and fashion divisions.[15] However, in 2003, the three brothers reorganized their separate businesses to be encompassed under the Al Mana Group.[16]
The business experienced sustained growth through the 2000s and into the following decades. In 2012, Hermès opened its first branch in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in partnership with Al Mana.[17] In 2014, Qatar Museums and Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. entered into a partnership with Qatar Museums, making it the Museum’s first exclusive automotive partner.[18] In the same year, Armani Exchange expanded in Qatar with the new opening of its second store in Doha in 2014, under Al Mana Fashion Group.[19] In 2016, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Al Mana Fashion Group announced a partnership that will see the opening of the first NBA Stores in the Middle East. This significant partnership introduced NBA-branded merchandise to the Middle East through the opening of retail stores.[20]
Today
Today, Al Mana still operates as a family business, run by the second generation with the three sons of the late Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana all serving as executive directors.[21] Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, Al Mana operates over 55 companies in other countries across the region, including the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.[22] Active in a wide range of industries, including automotive, retail, real estate, food and beverage, media, engineering, technology, and entertainment.[23] The group’s portfolio spans over 300 outlets and represents renowned brands such as Hermès, Nissan, Renault, Swatch Group, Armani, McDonald’s, Zara, Illy, and the NBA.[24]
Notes
Founder Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana. Source: Al Mana Website
[1] “About.” Al Mana, https://almana.com/about/. Accessed 21 July 2025.
[2] Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co.: About | LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/company/saleh-al-hamad-al-mana-co/about/. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[3] “Al Mana – Our Divisions.” Al Mana, https://almana.com/our-divisions/. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[4] “About.” Al Mana, https://almana.com/about/. Accessed 21 July 2025.
[5] “Al Mana – About.” Al Mana. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[6] “Al Mana – About.” Al Mana. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Hassan, M. F. “Agricultural Development in a Petroleum-Based Economy: Qatar.” Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol. 27, no. 1, 1978, pp. 145–67. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1153317. Accessed 21 July 2025.
[9] “About Us.” Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana, https://shalmana.com/about-us/.
[10] Publications, Publitec, editor. Who’s Who in the Arab World 2007-2008. Publitec Publications, 2011, https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinarabwor0000unse_c5h5. p. 72. Accessed 21 July 2025.
“MEMORIAL: Journal Officiel du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg.” Service central de législation Luxembourg, 15 March 2014, https://memorialc.public.lu/memorial/2014/C/Pdf/c0681153.pdf.
“Wissam Al Mana | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry.” The Business of Fashion, https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/wissam-al-mana/. Accessed 21 July 2025.
[11] “Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. launches Nissan’s iconic 7th Generation Patrol in Qatar.” The Peninsula Qatar, 28 October 2024, https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/28/10/2024/saleh-al-hamad-al-mana-co-launches-nissans-iconic-7th-generation-patrol-in-qatar-1. Accessed 21 July 2025.
[12] “GCC Automobile Industry.” Alpen Capital, 7 December 2016, https://argaamplus.s3.amazonaws.com/46aa1472-71b2-48e6-a65f-9c61a222c3d3.pdf.
[13] “Leadership.” Alsharq, https://alsharqinvestment.com/. Accessed 30 June 2025.
Hisham Al Mana For Qatar Today | PDF | Brand | Motor Vehicle. https://www.scribd.com/document/24897688/Hisham-Al-Mana-for-Qatar-Today. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[14] Rehman, Aamir A. Dubai & Co. : global strategies for doing business in the Gulf states. McGraw-Hill Education, 2008, https://g-city.sass.org.cn/_upload/article/files/62/ff/05169b914d3dbd62cd8108921dc3/fac29251-1ab7-4096-a780-641d9cbe1e71.pdf. Accessed 23 July 2025.
“McDonald’s Company.” McDonald’s, https://www.mcdonalds.com/qa/en-qa/ourcompany.html. Accessed 23 July 2025.
Sagin, Janeesha. “McDonald’s Qatar Donates 1M QAR for Gaza Relief.” Qatarday.com, 14 October 2023, https://www.qatarday.com/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-qatar-pledges-1-million-qatari-riyals-for-gaza-relief-efforts. Accessed 23 July 2025.
[15] “Stand and Deliver: Hisham Al Mana, Chairman of Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co, reveals the Doha-based giant’s plans for expansion.” Arabian Business Qatar, vol. 1, no. 11, 2012.
[16] “Official Website of Wissam Al Mana.” Wissam Al Mana – Official Website. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[17] Trotter, Katie. “Hermès opens first shop in Abu Dhabi at Etihad Towers.” The National News, 7 May 2012, https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/hermes-opens-first-shop-in-abu-dhabi-at-etihad-towers-1.462282.
[18] “Qatar Museum, SHM sign long-term partnership deal.” Gulf Times, November 2014, https://www.gulf-times.com/story/416698/qatar-museum-shm-sign-long-term-partnership-deal.
[19] “Armani Exchange New Store.” Al Mana, https://almana.com/posts/armani-exchange-new-store. Accessed 1 Sep 2025.
“Three Qatar retail companies make Forbes’ list of top 100 Arab family businesses.” Me Retail News, 13 September 2022, https://www.meretailnews.com/2022/09/13/three-qatar-retail-companies-make-forbes-list-of-top-100-arab-family-businesses/.
[20] “Wissam Al Mana Net Worth – Unveiling the Billionaire Retail Entrepreneur.” Jamelizz, https://jamelizz.com/wissam-al-mana-net-worth/. Accessed May 2025.
“NBA Announcement.” Al Mana, https://almana.com/posts/nba-announcement/.
[21] “Al Mana – About.” Al Mana. Accessed 10 June 2025.
“Official Website of Wissam Al Mana.” Wissam Al Mana – Official Website. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[22] Mughal, Waqar. “Al Mana Group – Top 10 Unlisted Companies In Qatar- Forbes Lists.” Forbes Middle East, 9 December 2021, https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/lists/top-10-unlisted-companies-in-qatar/al-mana-group/. Accessed 23 July 2025.
“Al Mana.” LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/al-mana-group/about/.
“Official Website of Wissam Al Mana.” Wissam Al Mana – Official Website. Accessed 10 June 2025.
[23] “Al Mana – About.” Al Mana. Accessed 10 June 2025.
Mughal, Waqar. “Al Mana Group – Top 10 Unlisted Companies In Qatar- Forbes Lists.” Forbes Middle East.
[24] “Official Website of Wissam Al Mana.” Wissam Al Mana – Official Website. Accessed 10 June 2025.
To cite this article please use:
“Al Mana” Family Business Histories Research Project, New York University Abu Dhabi and Tharawat Family Business Forum, 7 Apr. 2026, familybusinesshistories.org/spotlights/al-mana