Group Chairman | SAARA Group
SAARA Group Founder and Chairman, Mohammad Mansoor is a veritable whirlwind of ideas and decisiveness.
Driven by a clear head and a full heart, he strives ever forward in his business life and his personal goal of building up communities.
His passionate belief that everybody deserves a chance can be easily seen in his choices, from before his meteoric rise to success, to how he has wielded his growing influence.
Unafraid to be daring, he has earned his place among the corridors of the wealthy and elite by following up on his bold ambition and developing an intuition to rival the best of the best in business.
SAARA Group is a Middle Eastern Conglomerate headquartered in Bahrain, with ties around the world. It caters to a range of services across verticals and boasts a fine group of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) under its umbrella that it deploys according to the need of each client it works with.
At the forefront of the group’s portfolio is oil and gas trading, which caters to Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). Its construction services focus on petrochemical plants and facilities, as well as renting and supplying specialised industrial equipment. The group’s joint venture with US-based JVKUSA E&P has neatly placed oil exploration into its roster.
As someone who understands the importance of clean energy, Mansoor’s marked interest in green energy unveils itself with the conglomerate’s strategic alliance with US-based Triton-EV, a pioneering electric vehicles manufacturing company.
He was the driving force behind spurring the growth of manufacturing plants in India’s Telangana on a 150-acre plot provided by the government, ensuring an investment of Rs2,100 crore in the state.
It is telling of Mansoor’s drive to pursue all passions to complete the move to sustainable energy including plans to expand into full fledged vehicle manufacturing in India.
SAARA Group is also poised to open a lithium-battery manufacturing unit in India. The group also has a strong information technology subsidiary, which has implemented digital transformation, cyber security and blockchain for major corporations. It has several multimillion dollar ongoing projects across the globe.
As someone who values knowledge and education, Mansoor has now joined hands with several well-known educational institutions with the aim of expanding the group’s growth in this sector.
The project combines his passion for community building and sport – it is set to be Bahrain’s first school with a cricket stadium.
Playing to Win
Mansoor, fondly referred to as “dynamo” by Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Athletics Association, and First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Youth and Sports, played a vital role in setting the ball rolling in a now burgeoning cricket hub.
A passionate sportsman himself, he approached Shaik h Khalid to train the spotlight on the sport of cricket in Bahrain. Shaikh Khalid’s Mixed Martial Arts promotion, the BRAVE Combat Federation is among the fastest-growing brands in the field globally and features Mansoor as its Vice President for the India and SouthEast Asia divisions.
He welcomed Mansoor’s idea of introducing cricket – the second-most popular sport in the world to Bahrain’s official vision for sport. The move gave birth to the popular Bahrain Premier League (BPL) in 2018, led by Mansoor’s zeal.
The BPL ushered in an era of athletic competence and sports management in the country. This led to a much-needed revamp in the governing body of the sport and the Bahrain Cricket Federation (BCF) was put in place in 2021, with Mansoor as Chairman of the Advisory Board.
Woman empowerment and encouraging women in sports was one of the BCF’s core agendas, one on which they concentrated a lot of energy. This resulted in the first-ever women’s team being formed in Bahrain’s history.
In a short span of six months, this team went on to break five world records in their first tournament abroad. This massive achievement was globally recognised as the International Cricket Council awarded Bahrain and BC F’s efforts with the 100% Cricket Female Initiative award. This was not a mere platitude; Bahrain’s efforts were judged against entries from across the world.
Having personally invested his time, effort and money into these initiatives (SAARA Group is a proud sponsor of the team), Mansoor was warmly praised by an international icon for women empowerment and former Pepsico CEO, Indra Nooyi, at the ICC’s Annual Conference in the UK.
At Home in Bahrain
Mansoor’s prowess lies in being able to cherish and bring forth the merit of his Indian roots while appreciating the culture and nuance of his current home.
He is a member of every reputable association in the country, from the ASEAN Bahrain Council to the distinguished Bahrain India Society.
Mansoor doesn’t speak much about his philanthropy but his heart lies in helping those in need. This aspect came to the fore during the pandemic when Shaikh Khalid’s charitable NGO, KHK Heroes (of which Mansoor is the Vice President) distributed food kits to those in need and aided in many repatriation cases that were facing trouble due to the pandemic. No stranger to awards and accolades, Mansoor’s efforts are recognised across communities and cultures.
He was recently honoured for his enormous contribution to sports and international relations by one of the oldest cultural organisations in Bahrain, the Kerala Catholics Association.
He was presented the award by Minister of Labour and Social Development, Jameel Bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, at a glittering gala ceremony.
However, his most cherished award is the Hind Rattan Award by the NRI Welfare Society of India, New Delhi.
It is one of the highest awards granted annually to non-resident persons of Indian origin in recognition of their outstanding services, achievements, and contributions in their respective fields, and to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.
Change the World
With a vast global network of thought leaders and innovators, Mansoor was determined to use the expertise at his disposal for the good of the youth across the world. In 2021. He was appointed to the prestigious World Youth Group as director of the Council.
The WYG is an UN backed organisation supporting UN initiatives and implementing the UNSDGs in association with United Nations Member States, United Nations Agencies, and youth and student groups; All-African Students Union (AASU), European Students Union (ESU), Young Republicans National Federation (YRNF), and Young Democrats of America (YDA), among others.
As a part of its #IAmWithYou campaign, part of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3), the World Youth Group partnered with the prestigious 200-year-old McGill University of Canada and designed a Professional Development Workshop aimed at improving the mental health of the youth and alleviating suicide rates among the global youth.
Mansoor’s life, viewed through the prism of the SAARA Group and its achievements, and his philanthropic choices make it clear that this is a man who values community highly.
His every choice shows consideration for the next generation and what they stand to inherit, even as he shapes the world, one swing at a time.