Iqbal Ahmed facts for kids

Iqbal Ahmed (born 4 August 1956) is a successful British businessman who was born in Bangladesh. He moved to Manchester and built a fortune by importing and selling shrimp.

His companies, Seamark and Ibco, are involved in many areas, including shipping, hotels, real estate, and food. His success has made him one of the richest people in the United Kingdom. He is also the highest-ranking British Bangladeshi on the Sunday Times Rich List, a famous list of wealthy people.

Early Life and Moving to the UK

Ahmed was born in the Sylhet District of what is now Bangladesh. In 1971, when he was 15 years old, he moved to the United Kingdom.

He studied at City College in Westminster. After finishing his education, he joined his family's business in Oldham. His brothers, Kamal and Bilal, later joined him as the business grew.

Building a Business Empire

Seamark products sold in Bangladeshi grocery stores

Since 1992, Ahmed has been the CEO of the Seamark Group, a company he started with his brothers. The group includes two main businesses:

• Ibco: This company supplies food to catering businesses like restaurants and hotels.
• Seamark: This company processes and sells frozen food.

Ahmed also owns a £5 million hotel development and a popular Thai restaurant and bar called Vermilion and Cinnabar.

How Successful is His Business?

The Ahmed family's businesses have been very successful. By 2006, they were listed on the Sunday Times Rich List with a value of £110 million. Because of his success in the shrimp industry, he is often called 'Mr Shrimp' or 'King Prawn' in the UK.

The family's businesses in Manchester earn around £200 million. They also provide jobs for 2,000 people in Bangladesh. Their food products, with brand names like Mr Prawn, Lily, Classic, and Tiger, are sold all over Europe and America. To help sell their products in North America, they opened a sales office in the United States.

Working with the Government

Because of his business knowledge, Ahmed has been asked to help with several government groups. In 2006, he joined the Ethical Trading Champions' Group to help make the food industry fairer.

In 2007, he was invited by George Osborne, a leading politician, to join the New Enterprise Council, a group that gives advice on business. He has also worked with government departments to help British companies do business in other countries.

Awards and Recognition

In 2001, Ahmed was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special award given by the Queen for his important work in international trade.

He has also won many other awards for his business skills:

• He was recognized at the Legends of Industry Award.
• In 2012, he won the International Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young.
• He was nominated for the Businessman of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards in 2013 and 2015.
• In 2014, he received an award from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) for helping Britain sell its products abroad.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Ahmed lives in Wilmslow, a town in Cheshire, near his brothers. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, playing golf, tennis, and swimming.

He is also dedicated to helping others. He started his own foundation to improve the lives of poor people in his home country of Bangladesh. He is also the chairman of the NRB Bank, which helps Bangladeshis living abroad to invest in their home country's economy. In 2014, he funded the creation of a new secondary school and college in Sylhet.

See also

• British Bangladeshis
• Business of British Bangladeshis
• List of British Bangladeshis