For The Middle East’s Family Businesses, Legacy Is Not A Burden—It’s A Blueprint
To have a legacy is a privilege—it is proof that an organization has been resilient, has endured challenges, and has continued to grow.
In today’s world of digital disruption and workplace reinvention, the term “legacy” is often misunderstood. It can be seen as heavy and outdated. But for long-standing, family-founded organizations, legacy is not a burden. When that legacy is pioneering, it becomes the very engine of progress.
A legacy workplace is more than an organization that has simply stood the test of time. It is one that carries deeply rooted values; embedded in how strategy is shaped, how decisions are made, and how relationships are built. In our region, legacy is often inseparable from history, family traditions, cultural understanding, innovation, and an enduring respect for heritage.
For family businesses to succeed today, the challenge lies in balancing respect for the past with a focus on the future, so they can thrive in an ever-changing economic landscape. Reinvention does not mean abandoning what came before—it means evolving with purpose. That evolution rests on three pillars: respecting history, reimagining the future, and instilling an entrepreneurial spirit that drives a pioneering culture.
Respecting The Past
In a legacy organization, heritage is something lived. It shapes how we lead, how we collaborate, and how we grow. Legacy is not about repeating what has always been done; it is about understanding what made us resilient and using that to guide our next steps.
Reinvention, in this sense, is about continuity, not disruption. At my company, Al Ghurair, one of our most enduring values has been innovation through an entrepreneurial spirit. It is what enabled us to break new ground in the past, and it is the same energy we now harness to expand into new sectors, markets, and ways of working. Honoring legacy means carrying forward the spirit of what has worked and applying it boldly to today’s reality.
Reimagining The Future
For legacy businesses, staying relevant means constantly reimagining what lies ahead. It is about recognizing future opportunities, anticipating advances, and aligning culture to strategy so that organizations can adapt with purpose.
Culture plays a central role in this. It is not static—it must evolve to reflect where the business is going, while holding on to the values that matter most. Agility, innovation, and purpose are not new; they have always been part of our DNA. What has changed is how we channel them today—through curiosity, experimentation, and accountability. Reimagining the future means making deliberate choices that prepare us for new markets, new technologies, and new ways of working, without losing sight of a unified strategy and common goals.
The strength of culture in shaping the future can be measured objectively. At Al Ghurair, our recognition as a Top Employer for three consecutive years and our Great Place to Work certification reflect that our culture fosters trust, pride, and engagement. These milestones affirm progress, but they are not the destination—just markers on a continuous journey of reinvention.
Driving A Pioneering Culture
If reimagining the future is about seeing the possibilities, pioneering culture is about seizing them. This demands an entrepreneurial spirit—one that challenges norms, acts with intent, and pursues opportunity with conviction. For established organizations, it requires a mindset shift: moving beyond reliance on past successes and making decisions with future relevance in mind.
At Al Ghurair, this pioneering spirit lives through our “Culture Essentials”: embrace the new, collaborate for impact, and follow through. These are not abstract principles; they are lived behaviors that define how we lead, innovate, and engage with our ecosystem. It is this spirit that enables us to thrive in uncertainty, build on our legacy, and shape the future with confidence.
Legacy Is A Verb
To have a legacy is a privilege—it is proof that an organization has been resilient, has endured challenges, and has continued to grow. For a legacy business, the responsibility is to remain respectful of its identity and roots, while evolving, reinventing, and looking ahead. This ensures that values stay relevant, people remain energized, and the organization continues to make an impact.
Legacy is not a moment in the past. It is a living force we carry forward. And the best way to honor it is to keep building on it—turning resilience into relevance for the future.
About The Author
Suhrid Chaudhuri is the Co-Chief People and Culture Officer at Al Ghurair, one of the largest diversified family businesses in the Middle East.
