President Sheikh Mohamed has led tributes following the death of pioneering UAE businessman Hussain Khansaheb.
He played a significant role in major construction and infrastructure projects, which helped shape Dubai and the modern-day UAE.
Mr Khansaheb was equally known for his dedication to humanitarian work, helping to improve the lives of people in the UAE and beyond.
Sheikh Mohamed on Friday said Mr Khansaheb would be remembered for his “spirit of generosity and dedicated service to the UAE”.
“He contributed to our nation's advancement and worked to better our community through wide-reaching humanitarian and charitable initiatives,” the President said on X.
“My sincere condolences to his family and all those whose lives he touched.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said Mr Khansaheb was a pioneer in infrastructure projects. He praised the businessman's role in community and humanitarian projects, including efforts towards providing housing for lower-income families and setting up health centres.
“Our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late businessman Hussain Khansaheb, one of the most important entrepreneurs in the Emirates,” Sheikh Mohammed said on X.
As recognition for his service through the decades, Mr Khansaheb received numerous awards. In 2021, President Sheikh Mohamed personally presented him with an Abu Dhabi Award, under an initiative that recognises those who have dedicated themselves to supporting others and creating a better UAE.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE also paid tribute to Mr Khansaheb saying he leaves an enduring legacy.
“Our deepest condolences and sympathies to his family and loved ones,” he posted on X.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, also extended “heartfelt condolences and sympathy” to Mr Khansaheb's family.
Mr Khansaheb played a “significant role” in the growth of the UAE and was part of a group of pioneers who built the country up, Dr Gargash said.
Khansaheb was formed in the 1930s – decades before the UAE was formed – and it became involved in crucial early infrastructure projects.
Hussain Khansaheb took over as group chairman in 1954, after assuming the business from his uncle – the company's founder Khansaheb Hussain Bin Hassan Amad.
The company lists the Maqta causeway in Abu Dhabi (the first crossing between Abu Dhabi island and the mainland), Sharjah International Airport, Dubai's Clock Tower roundabout, Mall of the Emirates, Emirates National Oil Company's headquarters, luxury hotel retreat Bab Al Shams, Fujairah City Centre – the emirate's first large mall – and the Expo site as some of the projects it has worked on.
The contracting group has been involved in countless others projects across the country, such as hotels, offices, roads, schools and sports centres.
In 2017, Amer Khansaheb, managing director of Khansaheb Investments, spoke about how the business started as a trading company and provided support and maintenance to oil companies in the desert.
“It was my grandfather, Hussain Abdulrahman Khansaheb, in the 1950s who grew the company under more of a specialisation in construction.”
Today Dubai is a global metropolis. But it was pioneering businesspeople such as Khansaheb who helped transform it from that small town by the Creek.
