Emirati businessman and cricket patron
Abdul Rahman Bukhatir
Nationality Emirati Occupation(s) Businessman , media entrepreneur, and cricket administrator
Abdul Rahman Bukhatir is an Emirati businessman , media entrepreneur , and cricket administrator. He is the founder of the Bukhatir Group which has business interests in construction, education, information technology, real estate, shopping, sports, and leisure sectors.[ 1] [ 2] He also founded the sports TV channel Ten Sports .[ 3] [ 2] He is known as the Kerry Packer of the Gulf region .[ 4] [ 5] [ 6] He was the founder of Cricketers Benefit Fund Series, which aimed to benefit retired cricketers from the Indian subcontinent .[ 7] [ 6] [ 8] He is the father of Nasheed singer Ahmed Bukhatir .
Early life
Abdul Rahman Bukhatir was born in an Arab family.[ 9] [ 10] Bukhatir studied at BVS Parsi School in Karachi , Pakistan .[ 9] While studying, he was introduced to cricket by his neighbours in Karachi.[ 4] [ 10] When he came back to the UAE , he got a few like-minded people together and started playing cricket on matting wickets.[ 11] [ 10]
Career
Cricket patron
He transformed the Sharjah Cricket Stadium , from a stadium in the desert to one of the historic Guinness World Records -holder cricket grounds.[ 12] [ 6] In 1981, he organised a cricket match between Gavaskar XI and Miandad XI.[ 6] [ 10]
He helped set up the Al Dhaid Cricket Village.[ 13] He also served as the chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board .[ 14]
In January 2001, Bukhatir founded Taj Television Ltd in Dubai .[ 2] The company launched the TV channel TEN Sports (as part of its Taj Entertainment Network), dedicated to sports on 1 April 2002.[ 15] [ 16] Zee Telefilms (Essel Group ) bought 50 per cent stake in TEN Sports at an enterprise value of $114 million (₹ 800 crores ) in 2006 and completely acquired it in 2010.[ 17]
Awards
In February 2018, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award category in the Shyam Bhatia Annual Awards.[ 13]
References
^ "Founder and President - Abdul Rahman Bukhatir" . Bukhatir Group . Retrieved 2022-10-22 .
^ a b c "Who owns Ten Sports?" . Rediff.com . 16 March 2004. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ "Importance of TV production and cricket commentary" . Dawn . 12 December 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ a b "The cricket scene is here: Abdul Rahman Bukhatir" . India Today . 31 May 1990. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ Borkakoty, Rituraj (3 November 2021). "Meet the Kerry Packer of the Arabian Gulf" . Khaleej Times . Retrieved 2022-10-22 .
^ a b c d Laha, Somshuvra (17 September 2020). "Back to Sharjah, home of rivalries and controversy" . Hindustan Times . Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ "Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, the man behind cricket in Sharjah" . Sportstar . 27 November 1993. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ "Abdul Rehman Bukhatir wants to resume rewarding players with big purses" . Mid-day . 15 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ a b Memon, Ayaz (7 October 2020). "The rise and fall of Sharjah, Cricket's el Dorado" . The New Indian Express . Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ a b c d Radley, Paul (28 October 2021). "T20 World Cup: The football-mad son helping deliver his father's cricket dreams in Sharjah" . The National . Retrieved 23 October 2022 .
^ Radley, Paul (30 August 2022). " 'It was way beyond time that we set this up' – How Sharjah helped create Asia Cup" . The National . Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ "Man with a mission who changed UAE into a cricket oasis | Cricket – Gulf News" . Gulfnews.com. 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2021-09-08 .
^ a b K. R., Nayar (27 February 2018). "Bukhatir to receive Lifetime Achievement award" . Gulf News . Retrieved 23 October 2022 .
^ "Bukhatir defends the reputation of UAE venues | Cricket – Gulf News" . Gulfnews.com. 2005-05-04. Retrieved 2021-09-08 .
^ Chakraborty, Alokananda (26 March 2002). "TEN Sports to hit airwaves on April 1" . afaqs! . Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ "Ten Sports launching 1 April" . Indiantelevision.com . 25 March 2002. Retrieved 22 October 2022 .
^ Malvania, Urvi (2016-09-01). "ZEE sells Ten Sports to Sony for $385 mn" . Business Standard . Retrieved 2022-10-22 .