ABOUT THE PROJECT

We believe that historical understanding is key for strategic vision, and we see in the exploration of family businesses a unique opportunity to study the challenges overcome by business entrepreneurs and leaders in an effort to inspire the future.

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This research initiative is the first and most ground-breaking project mapping family business legacies in the MENASA region. It features a globally unique approach to understanding the multi-faceted impact of family-owned businesses in the regional economy, society and culture and seeks while preserving the history of individual entrepreneurs and collective business activities

This understanding will not only offer significant insights into historical transformations of business cultures and socio-economic environments in the GCC as well as the MENASA region but also support family businesses address current and future challenges.

Our Collaboration

Robert J Young

Dean of Arts and Humanities

NYU Abu Dhabi

Essa Al Ghurair

Chairman 

Tharawat Family Business Forum

NYUAD and Tharawat Family Business Forum sign a Research Memorandum of Understanding

Meet The Team

Farida El-Agamy

General Manager

 Tharawat Family Business Forum

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Education: Lic.iur., University of Fribourg, Attorney-at-Law, High Court of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Martin Klimke

Vice Provost for Academic Policies and Governance

Program Head, Associate Professor of History

New York University Abu Dhabi

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Education: MA, PhD University of Heidelberg

Shereen El-Agamy

Manager Strategy and Innovation

Tharawat Family Business Forum

Education: MLaw, University of Fribourg, Attorney-at-Law, High Court of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Israa Mahgoub

Research Assistant

New York University Abu Dhabi

Education: MA, Sorbonne University
Abu Dhabi

Program Coordinator

Tharawat Family Business Forum

Roddilou Rasonabe

Special thanks to:

Joy Wandia

Jennifer Watts

Kainaath Ahmad Shah Mumtaz

Zahra Urooj

Tharawat Family Business Forum

The Tharawat Family Business Forum is an independent, non-for-profit membership association dedicated to the sustainability, innovation, and growth of MENA family businesses. The association was founded 2006 by 15 leading family-owned companies from all over the Middle East who had a vision for a strong peer community where families could share their experiences and learn from each other. Today, 10 years later, Tharawat has grown into a key platform for education and  opportunity for its community. 

New York University Abu Dhabi

New York University Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and science campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly-selective liberal arts, engineering and science curriculum with a world center for advanced research and scholarship enabling its students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges.

Collaboration Partners