Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem


Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is an Emirati businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of DP World and the chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation.

Family and education

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was born into the Sulayem family, one of Dubai's most prominent business and political families since the early 20th century. His father was a key advisor to Dubai's ruling Maktoum family.
He graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in economics.

Business career

Bin Sulayem worked as a customs officer at Dubai's port after graduating from college in the late 1970s. He was appointed by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to be chairman of the Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1985. He oversaw its rapid expansion, with JAFZA growing from hosting 19 companies in the mid-1980s to roughly 7,500 as of 2020.
Bin Sulayem was made DP World chairman in 2007 and was appointed group chairman and CEO in February 2016. Following the acquisition of British port operator Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation for $6.9 billion, DP World became the world’s third biggest port operator in 2010.
Bin Sulayem led DP World's property development subsidiary Nakheel until 2010, becoming a board member in 2020. The company was behind the construction of man-made islands in Dubai. He helped establish and headed the DP World subsidiary private equity fund Istithmar World.
He has been non-executive chairman of Virgin Hyperloop since 2018. He is a board member of the Dubai Executive Council and the UAE Federal Tax Authority, as well as the Investment Corporation of Dubai until 2009.

Personal life

Bin Sulayem owns hotels on Nakheel's Palm Islands, and a stake in a real estate brokerage company. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University in Dubai in 2008. His son, Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem, is the chairman of the government-owned Dubai Multi Commodities Centre.
According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2017, Bin Sulayem paid Jeffrey Epstein $6,200, and a day later, Epstein paid Bin Sulayem the same amount. The journal reported Bin Sulayem was scheduled to visit Epstein's townhouse during the period 2011–2014.