In Doha, where modern glass towers meet desert tradition, a new generation of entrepreneurs is reshaping the idea of Middle Eastern heritage brands. Among them is Ibrahim Al-Haidos, a Qatari founder who has spent the last decade building a portfolio of ventures that attempt something many regional creators talk about but few execute: exporting a distinctly Gulf identity through design and craftsmanship.
Al-Haidos, 39, is best known for Fursan, a luxury label specializing in leather goods and silk scarves. The brand’s aesthetic leans on understated elegance — classic silhouettes, minimal ornamentation, and subtle cultural motifs — a deliberate contrast to the flashier imagery often associated with regional luxury.
“I always believed luxury can be quiet,” he has said in past interviews. “It can tell a story without raising its voice.”
His story began in engineering, not fashion. After earning an electrical and electronics engineering degree from the University of Liverpool, he returned to Qatar and later completed executive studies in business and luxury management at HEC Paris. That academic path, at first glance conventional, laid the foundation for a very different trajectory.
Fursan came first, and the focus was singular: build a home-grown Qatari brand capable of standing alongside European houses — not by imitation, but through identity. Success brought opportunity. Soon after, Al-Haidos launched MagnaTech, a creative magnetic-tile system for children, and Cheval, a souvenir and gifting concept. Real estate followed.
To an outsider, the ventures seem unrelated. To Al-Haidos, they reflect the same instinct: take a space where imported solutions dominate, and build a regional alternative with international sensibility.
His work has drawn coverage from international lifestyle and business media, including Digital Journal, Vegas2LA, and The Q Gentleman. At home, his role in mobility and infrastructure initiatives — including early electric-bike pilot efforts in Education City — signaled a willingness to extend beyond consumer goods into civic innovation.
What this really means is Qatar’s entrepreneurial scene is shifting. Al-Haidos belongs to a cohort that sees national identity as a global asset, not a constraint. And while his path is still unfolding, the blueprint is clear: build quietly, scale steadily, and let design — not noise — do the talking.
As Qatar continues positioning itself as a hub for culture and innovation, figures like Al-Haidos reflect an emerging narrative. Less spectacle. More substance. Brands born in the Gulf, built to travel.
