Abdirashid Duale is an award-winning British Somali

Somali people

Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...

 entrepreneur

Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

, philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

, and the CEO

Chief executive officer

A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...

 of the multinational enterprise Dahabshiil

Dahabshiil

Dahabshiil is an international funds transfer company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Formed in the early 1970s, the firm operates from over 24,000 outlets and employs more than 2,000 people across 144 countries. It provides a broad range of financial services to international...

.

Biography

Duale was born in Burao, Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

, where he joined his father in the funds transfer

Wire transfer

Wire transfer or credit transfer is a method of electronic funds transfer from one person or institution to another. A wire transfer can be made from one bank account to another bank account or through a transfer of cash at a cash office...

 business prior to the outbreak of civil strife

Somali Civil War

The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...

, in which he and his father lost everything. However, with nothing but a strong network of contacts, they rebuilt their business into one of the largest international money transfer companies in the Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...

. He holds a British passport and is a dedicated young father of four children.

Dahabshiil

Duale took over the company after his father retired, and began expanding Dahabshiil's reach into new markets. Today, Dahabshiil employs more than 2000 people world wide, has offices in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, and provides a broad range of financial services to international organisations as well as to both large and small businesses and private individuals. Abdirashid Duale believes that fast and efficient transfer of remittances

Remittances

A remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country. Note that in 19th century usage a remittance man was someone exiled overseas and sent an allowance on condition that he not return home....

 is an essential service for many people in the developing world, whose friends or family live abroad and regularly send money home.

Awards

In 2008, Duale was awarded Top Manager of the Year by the International Association of Money Transfer Networks in recognition of the outstanding services that Dahabshiil offers to its clients.

Charity

Mr Duale is a regular supporter of charities and donates 5% of Dahabshiil’s profits every year to development projects that support local communities.

He believes that those who have become successful have a duty to help those less fortunate.

Speaking platforms

In 2010, Abdirashid Duale addressed the United Nations Political, Security and Reconstruction Conference for Somalia and called for support from the international community to work with the private sector in Somalia.

In March 2011, Mr Duale addressed masters students at Aalto University School of Economics in Helsinki - an internationally renowned institution for management education - and discussed the importance of remittances in Somalia.

In the Media

Abdirashid Duale speaks regularly to the international media on a range of areas including the money transfer industry, remittances in the Horn of Africa, international business and humanitarian issues.

In an interview with in February 2011, Mr Duale told the BBC that Dahabshiil prides itself on its ability to provide a lifeline for people in remote areas who need it the most.

In 2009, in an interview with the New York Times, Abdirashid discussed how he and his father built Dahabshiil up through word of mouth. He also discussed his plans to grow Dahabshiil.