26-05-2025
'Reinforcing what we already do well — and doing it even better': Zaid S. Al Khayyat on legacy and leading with purpose
Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) is seemingly everywhere at once – leading across a diverse portfolio of businesses and partnerships. From healthcare to FMCG, retail to logistics, AKI is one of the region's most impactful UAE-based conglomerates. Its roots go back to 1982, when Dr. Saad F. Al Khayyat – AKI's founder and chairman – launched a family pharmaceutical business in Dubai.
Today, it boasts 10,000 employees across eight industries, with a footprint in nine countries and a culture that celebrates ingenuity by staying proactive, curious, and determined.
At the head is Zaid S. Al Khayyat, Managing Director of AKI, whose approach blends people-first values with an entrepreneurial spirit that pushes boundaries and always aims for the exceptional. For him, it's all about deliberate moves, built on trust, innovation, and prioritising long-term value.
In this Q&A with Arabian Business, Al Khayyat reflects on AKI's evolution, the UAE's catalytic role, and why real scale only matters when it's paired with purpose.
While it's been a year of many milestones for AKI, take us back to where it all began and the journey of AKI's evolution to what it is today.
My father, our founder and chairman, Dr. Saad F. Al Khayyat, a surgeon by education, established AKI back in 1982 with a simple but powerful goal: to build a business that put people first and delivered what communities needed most. When I stepped into the role of leading the company, I had the privilege of learning from him how he built AKI from the ground up, guided by strong values, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose.
What began as a small, family-run pharmaceutical company in Dubai has blossomed into a diverse group spanning healthcare, retail, food and non-food, FMCGs, fitness, automotive, environmental services, contracting, and more. Yet, through all that growth, we've remained true to our roots. AKI is and always will be a people-driven company. That spirit continues to guide everything we do.
Do you feel being based in UAE has helped AKI seize opportunities over the years?
Without a doubt, being based in the UAE and Dubai has played an influential role in shaping who we are as a company. The UAE's transformation over the years has been incredibly inspiring. Its energy and belief that anything is possible have become part of our DNA. The UAE has shown us that success comes from being bold, adaptable, and forward-thinking. It's not just a place to do business. It is an incubator for ambition.
Our new Fulfilment & Innovation Centre in Dubai Industrial City is proof of that. It's not only quadrupled our capacity but also set a new standard for logistics in the region. The emirate's infrastructure, access to talent, and openness to innovation create an environment where businesses like ours can truly thrive.
Outside the UAE, what does AKI's regional footprint look like today? Where do you see the biggest potential?
We've grown steadily across the region, with a footprint that now spans the GCC, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. In each of these markets, we've built teams that combine regional understanding with local expertise. Today, we're 10,000 people strong, representing over 70 nationalities. It's an amazingly diverse and dynamic community.
Expansion, for us, is about creating long-term value. We move with intention and purpose. Whether it's launching one of the UAE's largest horticultural nursery networks through Gulf Contracting & Landscaping, transforming the fitness landscape through our revamped Befit concept, or launching our own products through local manufacturing under AKI Creates, aligned with the UAE's Make it in the Emirates initiative — we always ask: how can we make a meaningful difference?
With that, we're seeing momentum in Saudi Arabia, where we're scaling rapidly across retail, consumer, healthcare and fitness. In Oman, we've deepened our presence in healthcare. Everywhere we go, we try to bring that same entrepreneurial energy, finding opportunities and building trusted partnerships that last.
As the business scales, how important is the organisational culture to AKI's strategy?
Culture is at the heart of everything we do at AKI. It's what connects us, empowers us, and gives us our shared sense of purpose, especially in a region as vibrantly diverse as ours.
For us, culture begins with belonging. When people feel genuinely seen, heard, and valued, they bring their best. That creates the kind of resilience and innovation we need to keep growing.
In a world that's constantly evolving, staying ahead also means being open to continuous learning, unlearning, and relearning. That's the kind of workplace we strive to build every day; one where our values are more than just words, but something you can feel in how we lead, collaborate, and grow together.
Speaking of staying ahead, what's coming next in AKI's journey?
Our next chapter is about deepening what we already do well – and doing it even better.
We already serve over 30,000 business customers across a wide range of industries in the UAE alone. We're proud to lead in many sectors. We're committed to not only maintaining that leadership position but expanding into frontiers such as 3PL logistics and local manufacturing, where we see enormous potential.
Beyond growth, what really drives us is meaningful impact. Just as my father envisioned when he founded AKI over forty years ago, we remain focused on creating lasting value for the communities we're proud to be a part of. Because we're here for the long term, guided by the same values that shaped us from the start.
