P.A. Ibrahim Haji

Pallikere Abdulla Ibrahim Haji (6 September 1943 – 21 December 2021) was an Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist based in the United Arab Emirates. He had investments in the education, automotive, and jewellery industries. He was the chairman of the PACE Education group, founder and vice-chairman of the Indus Motor Company, and the co-chairman of Malabar Gold.

Ibrahim was a recipient of the Indian government's Pravasi Ratna award in 2015.

Early life Ibrahim was born on 6 September 1943, in Pallikkere, in Kasaragod in the modern Indian state of Kerala, to Abdulla Ibrahim Haji, a textile merchant, and Aysha. He attended the government Mappila LP School, and later the Kottikulam Government Fisheries High School. After completing his schooling, he pursued his diploma in automobile engineering in Chennai.

Career Ibrahim emigrated to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 1966, traveling in a boat from India. He started his entrepreneurial journey in the UAE in 1974 with his own garments business before branching into cosmetics. In 1976, he expanded into the trading business, starting Century Trading Company and later into the jewellery business.

Ibrahim ventured into the education space in 1999 by setting up the PACE Education Group. The group operates schools and colleges in India, the UAE, and Kuwait, with over 20,000 students from over 25 countries. He was a director of the Muslim Printing and Publishing Company, the publishers of Chandrika the mouthpiece of the Indian Union Muslim League. He also drove many of his charity and community development initiatives through his trust. He was known to have driven a campaign to have international flights operate out of the Calicut airport. Ibrahim received the UAE Golden Visa in 2021 in recognition of his services to the country.

Death On 11 December 2021, Ibrahim suffered a stroke in Dubai. He was then moved to Kozhikode in an air ambulance, before dying on 21 December 2021, at the age of 78, at Aster MIMS hospital in Kozhikode. His funeral was completed at Najmul Huda Arabic College Madrasa in Vettekode, Manjeri.

Honours Board of Governors of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, the affiliation body for technical education in Kerala, India. C H Award in memory of C. H. Mohammed Koya, former Kerala Chief Minister of Kerala Pravasi Ratna (September 2005) Awarded at the NRI Global Meet Garshom Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 K. Avukader Kutty Naha Memorial Award 2013 K.S. Abdullah Memorial Award 2016 Presented by Kasaragod KMCC Sharjah Committee Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa (Hon. D.Litt.), by the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya