Abdul Razak Dawood

Abdul Razak Dawood is a Pakistani businessman who founded Descon and served as its chief executive officer until 2018. He was the Federal Minister of Commerce, Industries & Production between 1999 and 2002 in the Pervez Musharraf administration and later served as the Adviser for Commerce and Investment to then-Prime Minister Imran Khan from 2018 until 2022.

Early life and education

After initial schooling in the UK, Dawood studied and graduated in mining engineering from the Newcastle University. In 1968 he obtained his master's degree in business administration from the Columbia University.
He is a nephew of the late Seth Ahmed Dawood who was considered one of the pioneering industrialists of Pakistan.

Business career

Dawood began his career in the family business at Lawrencepur Woolen and Textile Mills in 1968 and later joined Dawood Hercules Chemical Limited as the managing director where he served until 1981.
In 1977, Dawood founded Descon. After his father and the siblings decided by the late 1970s and early 1980s to part ways, he became the CEO and chairman of Descon, a position he held until 2018. He is also a member of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Academic career

Dawood was a visiting faculty member in 1975 till 1981 at the newly established MBA Programme at the University of Punjab. In the early 1980s, he established the Suleman Dawood School of Business at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and has served as a member of the board of trustees of the university.
Dawood is also the founder of the Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Lahore.