Jamil Sultan bin Essa Al-Qanaie

KUWAIT: Kuwait lost one of its most prominent entrepreneurs; Jamil Sultan bin Essa Al-Qanaie, who passed away on Monday at the age of 67. A pioneer businessman known for his exceptional forward thinking and vision, Sultan is credited for several successful ventures in the Kuwaiti private sector, including the creation of the Sultan Center supermarket chain, and turning a small state-owned public warehousing company into a worldwide logistics firm known as 'Agility.'

Sultan also opened the first large mall in Kuwait, Souq Sharq, and managed the Free Trade Zone during its glory days. Known for his passion for farming, Sultan established the 'Yasmin Farm' in Wafra which produces organic products. He is credited by many as the one who introduced the concept of organic food into the Kuwaiti market.

Sultan graduated from New Mexico University in the United States with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Sultan was at the time of his death the Vice Chairman of National Real Estate Company (NREC), a pioneer in real estate investment and development with presence in the Middle East and Africa.