Wissam Al Mana

Wissam Saleh Al Mana is a Qatari business magnate who is the executive director of Al Mana Group, a Qatar-based conglomerate operating primarily in the GCC region. The group activities include automotive distribution and services, real estate and investments, retail, food & beverage, engineering, technology, media and entertainment. Operating over 300 outlets, Al Mana represents brands covering most areas of retail including luxury goods, beauty, fashion, home interiors, watches and jewelry. He is married to American pop singer Janet Jackson.

Wissam Al Mana was born on January 1, 1975, in Qatar. His family emigrated to London when he was two. He spent his childhood and teenage years there. Al Mana credits his early love of fashion and style to his upbringing in London. At age 14 he began applying to every fashion boutique on Kings Road and found a weekend job at a multi-brand store.

Upon completing his secondary education in London, Al Mana moved to the United States where he obtained a degree from George Washington University, before returning to the London School of Economics for a Master's in Business Administration program.

Al Mana serves as Executive Director of his namesake conglomerate which he co-owns with his two brothers, Hisham Saleh Al Mana and Kamal Saleh Al Mana. The company was founded by his father, whom Al Mana often cites as a major influence due to his work ethic, management style and humble demeanor.

In press interviews Al Mana has said he joined the family business to carry on his father's name and legacy as a merchant. Al Mana exclusively operates Infiniti, Nissan, Renault and National Car Rental in Qatar's auto sector. Across the GCC, their retail holdings include Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Chloé, Giuseppe Zanotti, Agent Provocateur, Emporio Armani, Dior Homme, British Home Stores, Go Sport, with whom they have helped develop the sports outlet's biggest retail space in the world, Zara, Mango, Diesel, Sunglass Hut, Reebok, Crocs, Damas and Sephora.

In 2015, Al Mana signed an exclusive license agreement with HMV for the Middle East, to develop a number of retail stores and online services for the British music retailer. In 2016, the group partnered with the NBA in order to open the sporting group's first physical retailers for branded merchandise in the Middle East. The first two stores will be launched in Qatar, with venues in Saudia Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait to follow.

Al Mana's food and beverage portfolio is composed partially of McDonalds, La Maison du Chocolat, Emporio Armani Caffe, illy, Haagen-Dazs, Grom, Gloria Jean's Coffees as well as the distribution of San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna products.

Al Mana group's real estate holdings including Doha Mall slated to open in 2016 (with a gross leasable area of over 1,000,000 square feet), Mirqab Mall to open in 2016, Al Waha Tower to open in 2017; Citywalk Residence to open in 2017; and Al Mana Tower.

In 2016, Al Mana invested in the Lazarides Rathbone urban art gallery. The owner, Steve Lazarides, explained that the money would be used to start an ecommerce platform for street-art prints, as well as moving the gallery's headquarters from Fitzrovia to Mayfair.

Al Mana married American pop singer Janet Jackson in 2012. On April 6, 2016, Jackson announced, "My husband and I are planning our family", resulting in her postponing her tour. On October 12, 2016 Jackson officially announced that the couple were expecting their first child. Their son Eissa Al Mana was born January 3, 2017.