Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder of Thumbay Group, and Zakariya Jokatte, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AL MUZAIN Gulf Saudi Contracting Company, have been featured in this year’s prestigious “The 100 NRIs” list by Entrepreneur Middle East, which recognises 100 outstanding Non-Resident Indian entrepreneurs from diverse sectors across the globe.

The annual list honours influential NRI business leaders for their entrepreneurial excellence and global impact. Other notable names featured alongside them include Vivek Oberoi, Prashant Goenka, Faizal E. Kottikollon, Ashish Koshy, Deepak Babani, and Pankaj Kundr.

Dr. Thumbay Moideen, an alumnus of St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru and son of the late community leader B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen, is widely recognised for his significant contributions to higher education and healthcare in the UAE and beyond. He founded Thumbay Group in 1997, laying the foundation for what has evolved into a diversified international conglomerate spanning health education, healthcare services, and medical research. In 1998, he became the first Indian invited by the rulers of Ajman to establish a medical college in the UAE, which has since grown into a university ecosystem with an extensive network of hospitals, clinics, medical centres, and pharmacies.

Over the decades, Dr. Moideen has steered the organisation’s expansion into a multi-sector institution focused on academic medicine, research-driven healthcare, and global education. Today, Thumbay Group institutions serve students and healthcare professionals from over 100 nationalities, contributing to workforce development and collaborative medical research. His achievements have been recognised in leading international publications such as Forbes Middle East and Arabian Business, and he has received an Honorary Fellowship from the International Medical Sciences Academy and an honorary doctorate from Amity University. He is also a recipient of the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award 2025 and is regarded as one of the most influential NRIs in the Gulf, as well as a prominent entrepreneur and educationist from the Beary community.

Zakariya Jokatte, originally from Jokatte in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, has built a remarkable entrepreneurial journey marked by resilience and determination. Born on May 10, 1958, he began supporting his family at a young age after financial setbacks forced him to discontinue his studies. He initially sold jaggery door-to-door before working as a welding helper at New Mangalore Port in 1971, earning a modest salary that marked the beginning of his professional journey.

His career took a decisive turn when he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he undertook demanding construction work while continuously developing new skills. Later, he joined a Dutch industrial services company, where he was selected among a limited number of candidates and underwent intensive training in Holland, earning multiple promotions within a short span. Drawing from this experience, he founded ALMUZAIN in 1996, which has since grown into a leading industrial services company serving the petrochemical and refinery sectors in Saudi Arabia.

Under his leadership, ALMUZAIN today employs around 7,000 contractual workers—many from India’s coastal belt—with expansion plans to significantly increase its workforce. Jokatte has supported employment opportunities for hundreds of Kannadigas and has assisted numerous companies, reflecting his commitment to community upliftment and entrepreneurship.

Beyond business, Zakariya Jokatte is actively engaged in philanthropy, education, and social welfare initiatives. Through the Zara Charitable Foundation and his role as Chairman of M Friends Charitable Trust, Mangaluru, he has contributed to education, community development, and welfare activities. He has also been associated with organisations such as AlKhaadisa and Hidaya Trust and is known for advocating NRI welfare, women’s employment, youth empowerment, and drug awareness programmes. His contributions have earned him several honours, including the Star of Bearys Award, Vishwamanya Kannadiga Award, Successful NRI Entrepreneur Award, and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award 2025 under the NRI category.

Their inclusion in “The 100 NRIs” list underscores their global entrepreneurial influence, community leadership, and sustained contributions to business, education, healthcare, and social development, particularly among the Indian diaspora in the Gulf region.