- Malik Riaz Hussain was born in 1958 in a small village in the Punjab province, specifically in Sialkot.
- He is an eminent entrepreneur who has expanded his business empire under the brand name of Bahria Town Group with great ambition and vision.
- He has completed projects in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Murree, and Karachi. Bahria Town Karachi 2, is the biggest private project in Asia, is also owned by Malik Riaz.
Mr. Malik Riaz Hussain, also known as Malik Riaz, is a Pakistani tycoon businessman who rose from humble beginnings. Born on February 8, 1954, in Sialkot, he began his career as a clerk with the Military Engineering Service (MES) construction company in the 1980s. With sheer grit and determination, he worked his way up the ladder to become a successful contractor. In 1995, his construction company, Hussain Global, signed a promising agreement with the Pakistan Navy’s charitable trust, the Bahria Foundation, to develop a gated community for them.
Mr. Riaz’s company soon became known for providing secure and safe gated communities. His business continued to grow and expand, spreading to Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad during the 2000s. In fact, he laid the foundation of one of the largest privately held real estate development companies in all of Asia, Bahria Town.
Early Life
Malik Riaz’s father was a prosperous private contractor. Nevertheless, due to unforeseen circumstances, his father’s business became, leading to Riaz dropping out of high school upon completion of his matriculation. Subsequently, he commenced his professional journey as a clerk with the Military Engineering Service, while concurrently taking on part-time painting jobs. Later on, Riaz transitioned into becoming a contractor in the military sector.
Mr Riaz acquired the skill of “working the system” and utilized his connections to secure a contract with the Pakistan Navy in the mid-1990s to develop two housing schemes on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.
Personal Life
Malik Riaz Hussain was born in 1958 in a small village in the Punjab province, specifically in Sialkot. His father was a private contractor who worked in the construction industry, while his mother was a traditional housewife. Mr Riaz is the youngest of eight siblings. He started working in construction from a young age and eventually established his own construction company in the 1980s.
After his first wife passed away due to her deteriorating health, he started working as a small-business contractor. He subsequently married Beena Malik, with whom he has a son. He has three daughters with his first wife.
Professional Career
Malik Riaz is an eminent entrepreneur who has expanded his business empire under the brand name of Bahria Town Group with great ambition and vision.
His dream project was Bahria Town which is now the most famous projects in the real estate industry. He has completed projects in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Murree, and Karachi. Bahria Town Karachi 2, is the biggest private project in Asia, is also owned by Malik Riaz.
Riaz’s net worth is valued at around US$1.5 billion, making him a successful businessman who has made a name for himself in the real estate industry. His drive, vision, and liberal business practices have helped him carve a niche for himself in a highly competitive market.
Now, Bahria Town is expanding Blue Economy. Mr. Riaz’s aim is to make significant contributions to social uplift, national progress, and education. To this end, the Bahria Foundation has been contributing to society through a number of subsidiaries, which serve as the four pillars of the organization.
Business Pillars
Bahria Estates: Prestigious complexes close to Karachi’s business center, known for their impeccable maintenance standards.
Commercial Businesses: Bahria Foundation’s diverse ventures, including Bahria Security Systems & Services, Pharmacy, Travel, Trading, and a Recruiting Agency, cater to ex-marines while driving Pakistan’s economy forward.
Maritime Works Organization: Leading Pakistan’s blue economy initiatives, dredging harbors, developing ports and shipyards, and conducting scientific surveys.
BEATS: Proliferating Bahria Foundation Colleges across Pakistan to provide quality education, with 85 campuses emphasizing discipline, character building, and Quranic teachings.
Philanthropist
“If my people are out of food, out of houses, I cannot sleep.” Malik Riaz
Pakistan’s multi-billionaire business tycoon, Malik Riaz, is also one of the most eminent philanthropic personalities in the country. He started Bahria Town, which is Asia’s largest private real estate development. He is also always at the front of helping the country during natural disasters, economic and social problems.
Philanthropic Activities
- Mobile Medical Teams: As part of his extensive health program, he introduced mobile medical teams aimed at facilitating the underprivileged. These teams are based in mobile hospitals in places like Muzzafargarh, Rajanpur, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Ghotki, Kishmore, Mianwali, Akora Khattak, Diara Deen, and Layyah. They give free medical checkups and medicines to people in poor neighborhoods and villages.
- Bahria Dastarkhwans: Dastarkhawans initiative provides free meals twice a day to over 100,000 people across Pakistan, with 15 operational outlets located in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, Larkana, and Rawalpindi. Dastarkhawans have also been set up in poverty-stricken regions like Tharparkar and Bannu.
- Community Welfare: Malik Riaz’s secure gated communities care about the well-being of both their residents and the local communities around them. This is shown by the many projects and social services they offer to make people’s lives better. This promotes harmonious coexistence and fosters a sense of community.
- Disaster Management: Malik Riaz pays for rescue teams that are always on the front lines, helping people with medical care, money, and food. The 2005 earthquake, 2010 and 2014 floods, the Thar drought, the Margalla Tower collapse, the Marriott Hotel and Ghakkar Plaza fires, and the Christian community fire.
- Education: Bahria Foundation has been sponsoring primary and secondary schools, institutes, and colleges, providing free-of-cost education, lodging facilities for 4000 orphans, and granting scholarships to over 7000 students each year. Microfinance loans are provided to students, and significant donations have been made to the public school and Kallar Syedan School.
- Combined Marriages: For over a decade, Malik Riaz has been generously financing grand wedding ceremonies for notable families. The employees of Bahria Town are granted interest-free loans with hassle-free repayment terms, enabling them to smoothly execute weddings and make them a success.
- Masajid: Bahria Town has built the Grand Mosque in Lahore, the biggest in Pakistan and the seventh-largest in the world. Built in just four years with a whopping 4 billion rupees, it’s a real feather in their cap.
- Environment: Malik Riaz puts the environment first and pays special attention to the natural landscape and resources so that he can build and run his business in a way that is good for the environment.
- Donations & Charity: Malik Riaz donated Rs 500 million to aid the internally displaced people (IDPs) affected by the military operation Zarb-e-Azab. He offered full responsibility for the IDPs. He gave the Punjab Chief Minister a Rs 100 million cheque for North Waziristan IDPs. He also paid Rs 130 million to Somali pirates to release seven Pakistani sailors.
- Prisoners Welfare: Thanks to Malik Riaz’s efforts, more than Rs 30 million has been paid in fines to secure the release of prisoners who were unable to pay. Some people who had been sentenced to death were also freed because everyone came to an agreement.
