Draft:Rabih Bou Rached
Rabih Bou Rached | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 30, 1978 |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom, Lebanon |
| Alma mater | Harvard university |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Children | 2 |
Rabih Bou Rached (born 30 May, 1978) is a Lebanese born entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of FEDS Drone Powered Solutions, President at Grandiz Interiors, Co Owner of Grandiz Real Estate.
Early life and education[edit]
Bou Rached was born on 30th May 1978 to George and Antoinette Bou Rached. His father had a career in sales and his mother was a homemaker. Rabih has one brother, Roger Bou Rached who is also an entrepreneur. He attended the Saint Francis School, Ghazir Lebanon and then Cortbawi College, Adam Lebanon, until he was 17 years of age.
He began his working life at 14 with a part-time job at a family friend’s electrical equipment business. By 16, he was working nights as a waiter at a local restaurant, and at 21, Bou Rached opened his own eatery which is still in operation today. Later in his career, he turned to real estate and furniture manufacturing, and received a certificate from Harvard where he studied Sustainable Business Strategy.
Career[edit]
At the age of 24, Bou Rached opened and ran Grandiz Bar & Restaurant, a successful bar and restaurant in Batroun, Lebanon. Involved from ideation to execution, he set up the outlet from and managed operations for three years. In 2002, he sold the business.[1][2]
In June 2005 he launched Grandiz Real Estate, again remaining Co Owner today. Bou Rached opened Grandiz Interiors in May 2007 and remains in the business as President. Bou Rached was President at Grandiz Sky Ltd between January 2014 and April 2019. The Grandiz series of businesses were all founded and owned by Rached.[1]
In 2014, Bou Rached established Falcon Eye Drones (FEDS) as a drone solutions-providing company in Dubai. Bou Rached self-funded his business for the first two years, after which the company became self-sufficient in managing its operations with the revenues it generated. The initial investment he made to self-start the business amounted to $1 million. FEDS was the first drone company to be established in the UAE and today is the largest commercial drone company in the world.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Awards and accolades[edit]
- Distinguished Speaker Award - Mohamed Bin Rashid Space Centre
- 2018: International Business Excellence Awards - Energy & Manufacturing
- 2019: SME Gulf Capital Award for Business of the Year Award (B2B Small Business)
- 2019: SME Gulf Capital Award for Disruptive Business of the Year Award
- Appreciation Certificate by Emaar 2022: For Creating a Safe & Celebratory Environment at Downtown Dubai for New Year's Eve 2022
- Gold Stevie Award 2024 (Award for Excellence in Innovation in Technology Industries - Organizations with up to 100 Employees)
- Silver Stevie Award 2024 (Innovative Achievement in Science or Technology)
- Bronze Stevie Award 2024 (Award for the Innovation in Technology Development - Other Service Industries)
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Meet Lebanese expat who went from waiting tables as a teenager to running a drone company in the UAE". khazen.org. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Meet Lebanese expat who went from waiting tables as a teenager to running a drone company in the UAE". gulfnews.com. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Dunn, David (2023-11-17). "Money & Me: 'I invested $1 million in my drone business'". The National. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Rabih Bou Rached | LEAP Riyadh | 10 - 13 February 2025". onegiantleap.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Rabih Bou Rached - Falcon Eye Drones | Droneii.com". 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Authors, Guest (2022-10-17). "Empowering the smart cities of tomorrow with drones". Middle East Construction News. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Davids, Gavin (2021-05-19). "Taking Flight: An interview with the region's only drone provider for the construction industry". Middle East Construction News. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Service, TLME News (2023-12-14). "A Future of Possibilities: 2024 Drone Predictions". Transport and Logistics ME. Retrieved 2024-04-22.