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Person

Badr Jafar

Occupation:

Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Enterprises
Spouse:

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak
Known for:

Philanthropy

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Badr Jafar is a businessman and philanthropist based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As of 2025, he was the chief executive officer of Crescent Enterprises, a multinational conglomerate of subsidiary corporations managing ports, logistics, food and beverages, healthcare, and private equity. 1 2 He was listed by Time magazine as one of the Most Influential People in Philanthropy for 2025. 3

Career

Badr Jafar is the managing director of Crescent Group, 4 a family-owned business based in United Arab Emirates (UAE) that was founded in 1971. 5 Crescent is a multinational conglomerate of subsidiary corporations managing ports, logistics, food and beverages, health care, and private equity. Jafar also works as the chief executive officer of Crescent Enterprises and is president of Crescent Petroleum, both subsidiaries of Crescent Group.  6 2

Badr has held advisory board roles across various organizations, including the World Economic Forum, 7 Cambridge Judge Business School, 8 the International Advisory Council of the American University of Beirut, 9 the Business Advisory Council of the American University of Sharjah, 10 the International Rescue Committee, 11 International Peace Institute (IPI), 12 Endeavor UAE, 13 and MIT Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship. 14

Badr founded Pearl Initiative, a UAE-based nonprofit organization established in 2010 in partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, to promote corporate transparency and accountability. 15

In 2013, Badr was appointed chair of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum in the UAE.  16

He sits on the board of overseers of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international humanitarian organization that provides case management, travel assistance, and legal assistance to immigrants attempting to enter the United States, among other programs. 11

In 2014, Badr co-founded the Arab World Social Entrepreneurship Program (ASEP) with Ashoka, a global entrepreneurship and networking platform. 17 ASEP was created to support the growth of entrepreneurs and their businesses across the Gulf region. 18

In 2015, he was appointed by then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki‑moon to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing. 19

In 2024, Badr authored The Business of Philanthropy, a book that lays out the case for strategic philanthropy through conversations with high-profile individuals such as Bill Gates, and David Miliband, a former British Labour Party politician working as president of IRC. 20

In September 2019, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization appointed Badr to its 15-member Futures of Education International Commission. 21

The UAE government designated Badr as Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy in April 2025. 22  Six months later, he joined the advisory board of the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria. 23

Early Life and Education

Badr Jafar was born in 1979 in Sharjah, one of the constituent emirates of the UAE. 24 He attended Eton College in the United Kingdom and holds a master’s degree in fluid mechanics from the University of Cambridge, as well as a degree in social innovation from the Cambridge Judge Business School. 25

Badr is married to Razan Al Mubarak, managing director of Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and president of International Union for Conservation of Nature. 26

Philanthropic Activities

In 2017, Badr Jafar and his wife joined the Giving Pledge, a pledge for billionaires to contribute at least 50 percent of their wealth to charity during their lifetimes or through their wills. 27

In 2020, he was among the first 11 members appointed to the Advisory Board of the U.S.-based Milken Institute for Strategic Philanthropy. 28 Badr also co-founded two university-based centers on strategic philanthropy, one at the University of Cambridge in 2020,  29 and another at New York University Abu Dhabi in 2021. 30

During the January 2023 World Economic Forum, Badr spoke critically about the reliance on conventional fuels. 31 At the 2024 World Economic Forum, he called for over $3 trillion in annual global investment to protect the environment, emphasizing the “unique role” of the private sector in achieving net-zero goals. 32

Badr Jafar is featured on the TIME100 Most Influential People in Philanthropy 2025 list, a list created by Time magazine honoring 100 individuals for their philanthropic contributions. 3

References

  1. “Our People.” Crescent Enterprises. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.crescententerprises.com/our-people/.
  2. “home page.” Crescent Enterprises. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.crescententerprises.com/.
  3. Booth, Harry. “Time100 Philanthropy: Badr Jafar.” Time, May 20, 2025. https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286009/badr-jafar/.
  4. “Board Members.” Crescent Group. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.crescent.ae/badr-jafar.html#:~:text=He%20is%20the%20CEO%20of%20Crescent%20Enterprises%2C,entrepreneurship**%20*%20**The%20Middle%20East%20Theatre%20Academy**.
  5. “About Us.” Crescent Group. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.crescent.ae/about.html.
  6. “Badr Jafar.” Middle East Institute. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.mei.edu/profile/badr-jafar.
  7. “Badr Jafar .” World Economic Forum. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/authors/badr-jafar/.
  8. “How to Avoid the Common Mistakes When Doing Business in the Middle East – News & Insight.” Cambridge Judge Business School. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/2014/how-to-avoid-the-common-mistakes-when-doing-business-in-the-middle-east/.
  9. “American University of Beirut.” International Advisory Council. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.aub.edu.lb/AboutUs/iac/Pages/default.aspx.
  10. “AUS President Chairs Inaugural Meeting of University’s Advisory Council of Development and Outreach.” American University of Sharjah. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-president-chairs-inaugural-meeting-of-universitys-advisory-council-of-development-and-outreach.
  11. “The IRC.” IRC Board of Directors and Board of Advisors. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.rescue.org/board-and-advisors.
  12. “Board & Council.” International Peace Institute. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.ipinst.org/about/board-council.
  13. “Mentors.” Endeavor UAE. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://uae.endeavor.org/community/mentors/.
  14. “American University of Beirut.” Badr Jafar. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.aub.edu.lb/AboutUs/iac/Pages/jafar.aspx.
  15. “Patronage and Governance.” Pearl Initiative. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.pearlinitiative.org/patronage/.
  16. Benny, John. “UAE to Host Business Leaders and Philanthropists at COP28 Forum.” The National, September 7, 2023. https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/cop28/2023/09/07/uae-to-host-business-leaders-and-philanthropists-at-cop28-forum/.
  17. “About Ashoka Arab World .” Ashoka. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/about/arab-world.
  18. “Ashoka Launches Gulf Platform for Social Entrepreneurship.” Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More, October 7, 2021. https://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/ashoka-launches-gulf-platform-for-social-entrepreneurship-545913.
  19. “Secretary-General Appoints High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.” United Nations. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://press.un.org/en/2015/sgsm16772.doc.htm.
  20. https://www.rescue.org/announcement/business-philanthropy-david-miliband-conversation-badr-jafar
  21. “Badr Jafar Appointed to UNESCO Commission.” Crescent Enterprises, September 26, 2019. https://www.crescententerprises.com/news/badr-jafar-appointed-to-unesco-commission/.
  22. “H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Appoints Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 21-4-2025-UAE-Sheikh-Abdullah. Accessed November 21, 2025. https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/MediaHub/News/2025/4/21/21-4-2025-UAE-Sheikh-Abdullah#:~:text=to%20Main%20Content-,H.H.%20Sheikh%20Abdullah%20Bin%20Zayed%20Al%20Nahyan%20Appoints%20Special%20Envoy,UAE’s%20commitment%20to%20economic%20diversification.
  23. “The Tony Elumelu Foundation Appoints New Advisory Board Member from UAE.” The Tony Elumelu Foundation, November 4, 2025. https://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/press-releases/the-tony-elumelu-foundation-appoints-new-advisory-board-member-from-the-uae.
  24. Kane, Frank. “Interview: Dubai-Based CEO Badr Jafar Moves the Needle at Davos | Arab News.” Arab News, February 2, 2020. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1621621/business-economy.
  25. “Supporting Diversity and Innovation.” Gulf News, September 16, 2018. https://gulfnews.com/going-out/society/supporting-diversity-and-innovation-1.1937098.
  26. “Razan al Mubarak .” linkedin . Accessed November 24, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/razanalmubarak/.
  27. “Badr Jafar and Razan Al Mubarak.” The Giving Pledge. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.givingpledge.org/pledger/badr-jafar-and-razan-al-mubarak/.
  28. “Milken Institute Establishes Inaugural Advisory Board for Its Center for Strategic Philanthropy.” Milken Institute, August 19, 2020. https://milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/news-releases/milken-institute-establishes-inaugural-advisory-board-its-center-strategic-philanthropy.
  29. “New Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at Cambridge Judge Business School.” Support Cambridge, June 25, 2025. https://www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/impact-of-giving/gift-announcements/new-centre-for-strategic-philanthropy-at-cambridge-judge.
  30. “Nyuad Launches Mena’s First Strategic Philanthropy Initiative to Study and Promote High-Impact Philanthropy.” New York University Abu Dhabi, September 27, 2021. https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/community-life/2021/september/nyuad-first-strategic-philanthropy-initiative.html#:~:text=The%20SPI%20will:%20*%20Conduct%20research%20and,business%20and%20the%20social%20sector%20is%20huge.
  31. Ali Ahmad, Tarek. “Global Energy Crisis Is a ‘Management’ Issue, Says Crescent Enterprises CEO Badr Jafar.” Arab News, January 21, 2023. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236266/middle-east.
  32. “Private Sector’s ‘Unique Role’ Can Spur Net Zero, Badr Jafar Tells Davos | Arab News.” Arab News, January 18, 2024. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2443901/business-economy.
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