Farook Kassim appointed President of Sri Lanka Business Council of Dubai

Farook Kassim

Dubai-based Sri Lankan Business Council (SLBC), a non-profit organisation that aims to foster and develop business relations between the UAE and Sri Lanka, recently announced the appointment of Farook Kassim as the council’s new president.
Farook, a Harvard Alumni and a successful entrepreneur, brings with him over 33 years of extensive experience in international commerce. He will lead a newly formed team of prominent Sri Lankan businessmen to invigorate SLBC’s activities through the introduction of new initiatives that will broaden the scope of the organisation. The new executive committee members include, Devenand Mahadeva (Treasurer); Palitha Ratnapala (Secretary) ; Janaka Palapathwala ; M. Mahendran ; Upali Kahandawa (Minister Councellor – Tea Promotion) ; Shiran A Perera (Country Manager - SriLankan Air) ; Mohamed Giado (Entrepreneur) ; Hon. Wasantha Senanayeke (Sri Lankan Consul General in Dubai) ; and Aslam Sulaiman (Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau)
“I am truly honoured by this appointment, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the other new appointees. I am confident that our new initiatives for 2009 can further boost trading activities between Sri Lanka and UAE even during difficult times like this,” said Farook.
A native of Sri Lanka, Farook moved to Dubai in 1975. He then started a trading company that has now grown into a diverse global operation. In addition to being SLBC’s president, Farook also heads the Dubai Food Group and al bogari Holdings, an international trading and investment firm. He is also a board member of World Memon Organisation (Middle East) director of Albaraka Bank (South Africa).