Bashar Masri
Encyclopedia
Bashar Masri is a Palestinian-American entrepreneur, born and raised in Nablus
, educated in Egypt
and the United States
. Trained as a chemical engineer and with a background in management consulting, Bashar moved back to Ramallah
from the Washington
DC area in the mid-1990s, establishing himself in Ramallah. He was the founder and first publisher of the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam. A successful businessman, Bashar is CEO of Massar International, which engages in a variety of business activities across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Bashar is the founder and managing director of Bayti Real Estate Investment Company. Bayti, jointly-owned by Qatar
i Diar Real Estate Investment Company and Massar International, was created to build Rawabi
, the first Palestinian planned city and the cornerstone of a new, modern, viable Palestinian society. This ambitious undertaken is the largest project and by far the largest private sector investment in Palestine
’s history.
He is a chemical engineer
with more than 25 years of international experience in industrial management, international trade development and management consulting. In addition to his professional work. Bashar is the current Palestinian Chapter Chairman of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).
In recent years, Bashar spearheaded a number of regionally significant real estate initiatives including low and middle income housing projects in Morocco
, commercial and residential properties in Jordan
, and a tourism real estate project in Egypt
. He also serves as an advisor and board member on numerous private and philanthropic organizations.
He was named as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum
. In addition to Massar, Bashar has been instrumental in creating new Palestinian businesses in the fields of journalism
, financial services
, communications, advertising
, and information technology
. He played a pivotal role in establishing the first investment fund dedicated to the growth of the Palestinian private sector
.
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
, educated in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Trained as a chemical engineer and with a background in management consulting, Bashar moved back to Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
from the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
DC area in the mid-1990s, establishing himself in Ramallah. He was the founder and first publisher of the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam. A successful businessman, Bashar is CEO of Massar International, which engages in a variety of business activities across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Bashar is the founder and managing director of Bayti Real Estate Investment Company. Bayti, jointly-owned by Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i Diar Real Estate Investment Company and Massar International, was created to build Rawabi
Rawabi
Rawabi is the first Palestinian planned city in the West Bank. Rawabi is to be located near Ramallah and Bir Zeit. A master plan has been drawn up for the city, which will consist of 10,000 homes in six neighborhoods with a population of 40,000. Homebuyers will have access to an affordable...
, the first Palestinian planned city and the cornerstone of a new, modern, viable Palestinian society. This ambitious undertaken is the largest project and by far the largest private sector investment in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
’s history.
He is a chemical engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
with more than 25 years of international experience in industrial management, international trade development and management consulting. In addition to his professional work. Bashar is the current Palestinian Chapter Chairman of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).
In recent years, Bashar spearheaded a number of regionally significant real estate initiatives including low and middle income housing projects in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, commercial and residential properties in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and a tourism real estate project in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He also serves as an advisor and board member on numerous private and philanthropic organizations.
He was named as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
. In addition to Massar, Bashar has been instrumental in creating new Palestinian businesses in the fields of journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
, communications, advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. He played a pivotal role in establishing the first investment fund dedicated to the growth of the Palestinian private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
.