About the Founder and Founding Story

Abdullah Al-Hamad Al Zamil was born in 1897 in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia, the eldest son of Hamad, a successful trader and farmer.^[8] Abdullah received his early education in one of Unaizah’s Quranic schools, studying the Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh.^[9]

At the age of 19, Abdullah left Unaizah in search of better work opportunities, accompanied by fellow men from his hometown on camels, heading to the Gulf port city of Al-Uqayr.^[10] After weeks of travel, he arrived with only the money he had borrowed from his eldest sister: 40 “French riyals”. This was the local name for the Maria Theresa thaler, a currency that was widely circulated in Saudi Arabia before the country was united by King Abdulaziz in 1928; where it was replaced by the Saudi Riyal.^[11] Al-Uqayr was closely connected via trade with Bahrain, which was home to a large Saudi population, who worked in different occupations ranging from trade to unloading goods at the Bahrain port, which provided young Abdullah with a sense of familiarity.^[12]

Around 1923, Abdullah moved to Bahrain after hearing about its thriving commercial opportunities from friends who had settled there. He began a modest trade operation in Manama, dealing in food goods and textiles, importing them from the Levant and selling them to local vendors. He also started to establish business ties with notable traders in the region, such as Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo.^[13] After laying the foundation of his business in the 1920s, Abdullah established a trading house in Bahrain in 1936, focusing on the trade of food and textiles. This year marks the official inception of the company.^[14]

Abdullah had 17 children from three marriages. In 1931, he married Muneera Al Zamil, with whom he had Hamad, Zamil, Khalid, and Fatima. He then married Madhawi Al Thukair in 1934, and they had nine children: Mohammed, Abdulrahman, Abdulaziz, Ahmed, Suleiman, Lulwa, Munira, Hessa, and Badriah. From his third marriage, he had four children: Fahad, Adib, Tawfiq, and Walid.^[15]

Growth Phase 

In 1940, the business expanded into real estate.^[16] In 1949, Abdullah joined the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), which had been established a decade prior.^[17]

The business grew rapidly in the next decade. Foreseeing that the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia would lead to a development boom and housing demand, Abdullah moved the center of his operations to Al Khobar in the 1950s.^[18] He established the first steel and metalwork factory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1953, and in 1959 he built the tallest building in Al Khobar.^[19]

In 1961, Abdullah Al Zamil passed away and was succeeded by his eldest son, Mohammad Abdullah Al Zamil, who was 23 years old at the time.^[20] In the 1970s, Mohammed’s younger brothers began returning home after completing their studies abroad, bringing new business insights. They were keen on diversifying the business and seizing opportunities aligned with Saudi economic development plans.^[21] In 1974, the company founded one of the first air-conditioning businesses in the kingdom: Zamil Air Conditioners (ZAC), which designs and manufactures air-conditioning products.^[22] In 1977, Zamil Operations & Maintenance was established as a leading provider of operations and maintenance services in the country.^[23]

The company’s portfolio continued to expand in parallel with the development of Saudi Arabia in the 1980s, and the following companies were founded: Zamil Plastics Industries Limited (1980), and Arabian Gulf Construction AGC (1982).^[24] In addition, the third generation began joining the family business, starting with Mohammed’s son, Abdullah Mohammed, who had been working as an industrial engineer at Zamil Air Conditioners since 1987.^[25]

In the 1990s, the brothers decided to reduce their risk in existing industrial ventures and saw an opportunity to enter the petrochemical industry. They decided to list through an initial public offering (IPO) using a gradual approach, as they were concerned that the capital markets might not trust a family-owned and operated enterprise.^[26] In 1998, the family established Zamil Industrial Investment Company (ZIIC), which went public in 2002, listing 40% of its shares on the Saudi Stock Exchange. In parallel, during the mid-1990s, the brothers consulted global experts on family business governance to address concerns about ownership and succession.^[27]

In the early 2000s, the Zamil Group became a closed joint-stock company.^[28] After Mohammad Al Zamil’s death in 2009, his younger brother Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Zamil succeeded him as chairman, while their other brother, Abdulaziz, was promoted to group CEO.^[29] Additionally, after Mohammed’s death, his children, who were working in the family business, became shareholders per his request to keep shares within the family to prevent diluting the family’s ownership.^[30] In 2013, Abdulrahman retired and became chairman of the family council.^[31] Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Zamil then became group chairman, and Khalid Abdullah Al Zamil, their brother, took over as group CEO. By 2014, the number of family members participating in the business was estimated at 30, assuming various roles.^[32] In 2019, a new version of the Zamil Family Constitution was launched, marking a breakthrough by emphasizing unity and including both male and female family members in the business vision, ultimately contributing to increased involvement of women in the family business.^[33]

Today

Today, Zamil Group is led by Khalid Abdullah Al Zamil, the founder’s son, as chairman. The parent company remains 100% family-owned, with the second, third, and fourth generations assuming different roles within the company.^[34]

The conglomerate operates 13 wholly-owned companies and 13 joint ventures across various sectors, including building materials, manufacturing, offshore, petrochemicals, trade and services, real estate, and investments, with a workforce of over 12,000 employees.^[35]