Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the Emirati businessman and founder of Emaar Properties, has been awarded the Knighthood of the Order of the Star of Italy, one of Italy’s highest state honours, bestowed by President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella.
A photograph of the ceremony shows Alabbar in traditional Gulf dress receiving the medal and certificate. The certificate, headed “Ordine della Stella d’Italia” and addressed to “Ing. Mohamed Ali Alabbar,” bears a presidential signature.
The Order of the Star of Italy is typically conferred on foreign nationals who have made a notable contribution to relations between Italy and their country. Alabbar, who built Emaar into one of the region’s largest property developers and the company behind Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa, has maintained ties with European markets over the course of his career.
