Biography

About Hamid Kerayechian

Hamid Kerayechian (born 1 April 1979) is an Iranian-American business executive and entrepreneur based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ayana Holding, an investment and development group, and the co-founder and CEO of VX Studio, an architectural design and development consultancy.

Early Life & Education

Kerayechian was born in Colorado, United States. He pursued higher education in California and obtained a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California in the early 2000s. After completing his education, he began his professional career in the United States before relocating to Dubai in 2008.

Career

From 2006 to 2008, Kerayechian worked as a development manager at WD Partners. In 2008, he relocated to Dubai and joined Emaar Properties, one of the largest real estate development companies in the Middle East, where he held the position of senior development manager until 2014.

In October 2011, Kerayechian co-founded VX Studio (formerly VE Experts) and became its CEO and founding partner. The company provides architectural design, development management, and consultancy services for residential, commercial, mixed-use, and hospitality projects.

In February 2015, Kerayechian co-founded Ayana Holding and took the role of CEO and founding partner. The company manages a portfolio of businesses involved in real estate investment and development. In 2016, he co-founded Opaal Interiors, a firm providing interior design services in the UAE.

In 2017, he co-founded Detay Living, an interior furnishing and bespoke furniture company. In 2018, he became a founding partner of M2L Concepts, a Dubai-based interactive entertainment and technology company. He is also a founding partner of WRKBAY, a coworking space concept, and a partner in XPLOR, a technology venture introducing digital and proptech solutions to the real estate industry.

Recognition & Awards

Arabian Business — 100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East
2018
Arabian Business — 40 Under 40
2018
Arabian Business — Dubai's Most Influential People (DXB100)
2018
Arabian Business — Stars of 2018
2018
CEO Middle East — Most Admired Leaders of Asia & Young CEO of the Year
2018
CBNME — Entrepreneur of the Year, Construction Innovation Awards
2019
Design Middle East — Visionary Leader of the Year
2020
CBNME — Power Hour ranking (#17)
2021
Forbes Middle East — Building On Opportunity
Feature