Omar Hijazi

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Omar Hijazi is the CEO of the Dubai-based Tejari.com, the fast-growing e-commerce network that has succeeded in becoming the number-one hub of online trade for businesses and individuals in the UAE, the region and across emerging markets all over the world. Since taking the helm at Tejari in 2005, Hijazi has managed to lead a semi-governmental one-product company into becoming a multi-product success story over the Internet, with the launch of several online e-commerce initiatives and ventures that brought global recognition for the six-year-old company.

Hijazi has helped to establish Tejari as the regional leader in e-commerce, making it one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. Hijazi also sits on the Board of Directors of Dubai World, the holding company that owns Tejari and several other iconic Dubai-based companies, like Nakheel and DP World.

Tejari has managed to launch two new lines of business under Hijazi—Tejari Ventures and Tejari Communities. Tejari Ventures is the company’s idea-lab that incubates e-commerce new initiatives and then launches them as new companies, through which the hugely successful real estate portal Simsari.com has emerged.

Tejari Communities is a new concept for the emerging markets, where offline communities are being brought online and offered a virtual space, in which members of each community can interact with their peers from the same community, members of other communities and the outside world.

Also, Hijazi managed to lead a substantial growth in Tejari’s main core business, the already successful Tejari Marketplace business-to-business procurement suite and Tejari’s international franchising operations.

Hijazi has over 20 years experience of working in the ICT industry, with a large proportion of that experience gained in the global center of the high-tech community, Silicon Valley. Among his achievements in those 20 years, Hijazi has led a strategic sourcing program worth more than $1 billion; brought more than $100 million in savings to the holding company one of the world’s largest CPG firms; launched an e-marketplace whose current membership consists of global industry leaders with combined revenue of over $900 billion; and developed a go to-market strategy which captured a market worth $1.3 billion.

Hijazi has a degree in Computer Science from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), and an MBA in Finance from San Diego State University (SDSU).

He has played a number of key roles for leading companies in the consultancy field, building a strong understanding of e-business and logistics. As senior manager at Ernst and Young LLP in Los Angeles, Hijazi helped lead the business intelligence and performance management practice for the company. Prior to joining Tejari, Hijazi was Senior Principal at A.T. Kearney, Inc., where he provided consultancy and thought leadership to the high-tech practice and e-commerce groups, which provided consultancy for Tejari on building its five-year business plan.

For the next stage of Tejari’s growth, Hijazi has overseen the creation of a wide ranging strategic plan that will address new markets, new areas of operations, and build business relationships with diverse communities. In 2006, Tejari completed building its network of GCC operations, and is now actively pursuing opportunities outside of the Middle East, with the launch of Tejari Pakistan, in cooperation with Hashoo Group. Hijazi has also taken a leading role in building Tejari’s presence on a global stage, with a number of high profile engagements and speaking opportunities at international events.