UA Alumnus Mohammed Sharaf Awarded Honorary Degree From SBS And Eller

Congratulations to UA alumnus Mohammed Sharaf, who was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Eller College of Management during the 154th Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 11, 2018.

Mohammed Sharaf
Mohammed Sharaf is the assistant minister for economic and trade affairs at the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, a position he has held since July 2016.

After graduating from the UA in 1985 with a degree in business administration, Sharaf began his shipping career working on the docks of Howland Hook terminal in New York. He turned down several offers from government-related firms in the UAE to take the position as a tally clerk, which helped him learn all about wharf life.

In 1992, Sharaf joined Dubai Ports Authority and rose rapidly through the organization, holding a number of senior positions, including commercial director. In 2001, he became managing director of the newly established Dubai Ports International.

At DPI, Sharaf managed a major international growth strategy that included the successful acquisition of CSX WT and the P&O Group. With the integration of domestic and international arms of the Dubai Ports organization, the global port operator DP World was formed in 2005. Sharaf played a central role in the development of Dubai's container terminals at Jebel Ali and Port Rashid, which, combined, have become a top 10 global terminal facility.

Sharaf served as Group CEO of DP World, which is now the fourth-largest port operator in the world. Its portfolio includes more than 65 marine terminals across six continents, with new developments underway in India, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He played a key role in the development of DP World's global strategy, which used a core and innovative IT platform to drive the company's status as a global trade enabler in the industry.

During his tenure at DP World, Sharaf was listed at No. 3 on Arabian Business' list of the UAE's Top 50 Executives. Arabian Business called him the "driving force" behind DP World's growth, which included a 10 percent increase in net income from 2011 to 2012.

For the UAE Ministry, Sharaf currently leads the innovation team and is chairman of the FDI committee and the human capital committee. He is also joint vice chairman of the UAE International Investors Council, which acts as a link between UAE international investors and the government.

Text taken from this UANews story.