Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber

Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber
Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber
Born	1959; Jeddah
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman
Years active	1982–present
Known for	Founder, chairman and CEO of MBI Group; owner of JJW Hotels & Resorts and Amarante hotels

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber () is a billionaire entrepreneur of Arab descent.

Business

Al Jaber established Jadawel International Construction & Development in 1982. He serves as the founder, chairman, and CEO of the MBI Group, holding an 80% ownership stake. The Group encompasses several companies, including:

JJW Hotels & Resorts, which manages upscale hotels across Austria, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
The Amarante brand, representing 4-star hotels located in France, Portugal, and Egypt.

In March 2013, Forbes recognized Al Jaber as a billionaire. By May 2014, he achieved the 13th position on The Sunday Times Rich List—the highest ranking for an Arab individual. Arabian Business's 2013 list placed him second among the wealthiest Arabs globally with a net worth of $12.66 billion. Bloomberg Billionaires estimated his fortune at $7.19 billion in August 2018, while Forbes Austria valued it at approximately $7 billion as of December 2023.

Portugal

Al Jaber assumed control over Quinta Vale Da Gondra Hotel e SPA in September 2003. By January 2008, he expanded his presence in the Algarve region with an investment nearing €200 million to acquire assets including Hotel Dona Filipa in Vale do Lobo, San Lourenzo golf course at Quinta do Lago, and Hotel Penina along with its three golf courses from Starman—a joint venture between Lehman Brothers and Starwood Capital. Additional holdings in the area feature Pinheiros Altos Golf Resort and Formosa Hotel. In 2013, JJW Hotels and Resorts took over management of Penina Hotel and Golf Resort and announced plans for significant renovations at Dona Filipa. Since October 2015, Mohsen MBI Al Jaber, Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber’s son, has held the position of Vice President overseeing the MBI Group's operations in Portugal.

Austria

In 2002, Al Jaber purchased Vienna’s Grand Hotel from All Nippon Airways and subsequently transformed a former bank building on Kärntner Ring into the boutique Ring Hotel. In October 2006, he acquired Palais Corso—a high-end shopping and office complex in Vienna—for approximately €70 million. JJW Hotels also bought the Palace Schwarzenberg Hotel in 2007; however, attempts to expand this property did not succeed.

In 2007, Al Jaber invested a 10% share in MODUL University Vienna (Vienna Tourism University) and funded scholarships there. Early in 2008, he sought to acquire a 20% stake in Austrian Airlines but withdrew after quarterly results revealed hidden financial difficulties. An audit later confirmed that Austrian Airlines had concealed substantial losses. In 2023, Al Jaber prevailed in a legal case affirming his right to exit the investment agreement due to Austrian Airlines’ misconduct; he intends to pursue damages related to business losses and harm to his reputation.

By July 2008, Al Jaber had secured a 60% ownership interest in Kneissl Holding GmbH, an Austrian sports equipment manufacturer; by 2015, the JJW Group held full ownership. In May 2011, he publicly challenged Austrian media reports suggesting financial instability within his enterprises, accusing them of biased reporting.

In October 2020, Al Jaber and Robert Zadrazil, CEO of Bank Austria UniCredit, resolved a longstanding legal dispute originating from 2012 through mutual agreement. Both parties committed to cooperating to support Austria’s economic growth.

France

The Group inaugurated its initial office in France in 1991. The Al Jaber hotel portfolio originated in France in 1988 and has since grown to encompass more than 35 properties within the country and close to 80 throughout Europe. In October 2008, the Group revealed intentions to purchase a number of French hotels from Starwood Capital Group for $2 billion; however, this transaction was never completed.

Personal life

Al Jaber is married and has three children, all of whom serve as Trustees of the MBI Al Jaber Foundation. He acquired Austrian citizenship in 2007.

He is the founder and current chairman of the MBI Al Jaber Foundation, established in 2002, which focuses on supporting educational and cultural projects. The Foundation is the founding sponsor of the London Middle East Institute at SOAS and endows the MBI Al Jaber Chair in Middle East Studies. It has also made contributions to various institutions such as Corpus Christi College (Oxford), University of Westminster, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Furthermore, it co-established the Olive Tree Programme at City, University of London, which facilitated dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian students from 2004 until 2016.

Al Jaber has participated as a member of the advisory board for the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics (LSE). In 2003, his foundation provided SR21 million to Dar Al-Hekma University, a women's university located in Jeddah. In 2013, it introduced a Media Training Institute in Sana'a, Yemen, delivering complimentary journalism education aimed at fostering press freedom. From 2013 through 2017, the Foundation’s annual spending declined from around £1.2 million to less than £40,000.

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