Mishal Kanoo serves as the Chairman of The Kanoo Group, one of the largest, independent and longest running family owned groups of companies in the Gulf region. He is also one of the most iconic business figures in the Middle East, featured on various magazines and listed in ‘Top 100 Powerful Arabs 2013’, ‘The 15 Wealthiest Arab Businessmen in the World 2012’, among others.

Born in Bahrain and educated until high school locally, Mishal Kanoo continued his college studies in United States. He took Comparative Theology and Philosophy and double major in Economics as his first degree and later earned his MBA in Finance from University of St. Thomas in Houston. After awhile, he pursued higher learning and obtained his second MBA from American University of Sharjah where he occasionally teaches courses.

Subsequently, he worked at Arthur Andersen in Dubai as an Auditor before taking up his current position in 1997.