Shahzada Dawood is a British-Pakistani multi-millionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He serves as vice-chairman of Engro Corporation, director of Dawood Hercules Corporation, a board member of Prince Charles’ Charity, a board member of the SETI institute, and a trustee in The Dawood Foundation. On 18 June 2023, Shahzada made headlines when he and his son Suleman, along with three others, went missing in the 2023 Titan submersible incident.
Wiki/Biography
Shahzada Dawood was born on Wednesday, 31 December 1975 (age 47 years; as of 2022) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. It was his philanthropist father who embedded a love for education and environmentalism in him. He pursued a LLB from Buckingham University in the UK, where he graduated in 1998. Thereafter, he obtained an M.Sc. in Global Textile Marketing from Philadelphia University (2000) in the USA. Later, Dawood started living in Surbiton, South West London, with her wife and children.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Shahzada Dawood belongs to a Memon family, hailing from Karachi, Pakistan.
Parents & Siblings
Shahzada’s father, Hussain Dawood, is a Pakistani businessman, investor, educationalist, and philanthropist. His mother’s name is Kulsum Dawood.
A picture of Shahzada Dawood’s father, Hussain Dawood, and mother, Kulsum Dawood
He has three siblings, Azmeh Dawood, Sabrina Dawood, and Abdul Samad Dawood. Sabrina Dawood is a Pakistani philanthropist and educational activist who promotes inclusive education and informal learning. She is the trustee and executive of The Dawood Foundation (TDF). Abdul Samad Dawood serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Dawood Hercules Corporation.
Shahzada Dawood’s sister Sabrina Dawood
Abdul Samad Dawood
Kulsum Dawood and Azmeh Dawood
Wife & Children
He is married to Christine Dawood, who hails from German. Together, they have two children Suleman and Alina.
Shahzada Dawood and his wife, Christine Dawood
Shahzada Dawood with his son Suleman Dawood
Others
His grandfather, Ahmed Dawood, was a Pakistani industrialist and a philanthropist.
Ahmed Dawood
Career
In May 1996, he became a board member of Dawood Hercules Corporation Ltd, a part of the Dawood Group founded by his grandfather, Ahmed Dawood. He was the Vice Chairman of the board of directors of Dawood Hercules Corporation from April 2018 to October 2021. At Dawood Hercules Corporation, Shahzada was instrumental in finding growth and innovation opportunities through mergers, acquisitions, and divestments in energy, agri-nutrients, consumer foods, petrochemicals, and textiles for diversified public-listed companies. Shahzada became the Shareholder Director on the Board of Engro Corporation Limited, one of Pakistan’s largest fertilizer companies, in 2003. In October 2021, he started serving as its Vice-Chairman. Committed to sustainable development, Shahzada initiated investment in Reon, a leading Solar and Storage Solution. Apart from that, he serves as a director of Engro Foods Ltd, Engro Vopak Terminal Ltd, Engro Eximp Ltd, Patek (Pvt.) Ltd, Engro Polymer & Chemicals Ltd, Sirius (Pvt.) Ltd, Tenaga Generasi Ltd, and Dawood Lawrencepur Ltd.
Philanthropy
Shahzada Dawood is a trustee of The Dawood Foundation, a telecom and agriculture-focused not-for-profit foundation founded by Ahmed Dawood. The organisation includes Dawood Public School, Dawood College of Engineering, and Karachi School of Business and Leadership, and focuses on education access in Pakistan up to the university level. Additionally, he is a supporter of the Global Advisory Board for Prince Charles’ charity, Prince’s Trust International. He is also in the Founder’s Circle of The British Asian Trust. In December 2020, he became a member of the Board of Trustees for the SETI Institute, a not-for-profit research organization in California.
2023 Titan Submersible Incident
On 18 June 2023, the Titan submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
OceanGate’s submersible Titan
The submersible carried five people, Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son Suleman, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush. Titan was set to show passengers the Titanic shipwreck up close, but communication was lost with the vessel just under two hours into its journey. The popular British passenger liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Passengers had paid $250,000 for the trip which was supposed to venture close to 13,123 feet deep into the ocean. Dawood had an interest in exploring natural habitats and renewable energies.
Facts/Trivia
- Reportedly, Shahzada Dawood Dawood is a close friend of King Charles III.
- He has dual citizenship of Pakistan and England.
- Dawood has spoken at the World Economic Forum in the past on several occasions. He was selected as a Young Global Leader in 2012 by the World Economic Forum.
- He has a dog named Stig and a cat named Proteus.
- He is fond of photography and is an avid animal lover.
- His father, Hussain Dawood, was a founding patron of Prince’s Trust International.