Abdulla N. Khoory is an Emirati entrepreneur, investor, and social innovator recognized for connecting business, philanthropy, and technology to drive measurable global impact. Based in Dubai, he is the founder of Two Point Five, an initiative inspired by the Islamic principle of zakat. The platform reimagines charitable giving by channeling transparent capital toward high-impact nonprofits and social enterprises in education, health, community development, and climate action. His mission is to redefine giving as a shared responsibility rather than an act of generosity.
Khoory’s work has long intersected with both the government and the private sector. As Senior Grant Manager for Expo 2020 Dubai’s Expo Live program, he oversaw a $100 million innovation fund to identify and support social entrepreneurs from around the world. Alongside the team, Expo Live funded 140 startups and social enterprises across 76 countries, many of which presented their work at Expo 2020. The program gave grassroots innovators a global platform to demonstrate how locally led ideas can transform communities.
Following Expo 2020, Khoory served as a Senior Specialist at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, where he contributed to long-term strategic planning for Abu Dhabi’s central government. He advised the Director General on key policy areas, including employment, education, AI, and philanthropy. He established the Future-Foresight Department, which brought together international board members and government entities to develop forward-looking initiatives.
He currently serves as Co-founder of NAWA, Oracle’s exclusive global partner for government digitization in emerging markets. He is also a Board Member at Nyaka, a high-impact nonprofit operating in Uganda that supports orphans, grandmothers, and vulnerable communities impacted by HIV/Aids. The organization supports 92,000+ orphaned and vulnerable children across Rukungiri, Kanungu, and Rubanda.
A graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned a degree in International Affairs with distinction (Summa Cum Laude), Khoory also holds a Master’s in Education from Harvard University (GPA 3.9), where he cross-registered at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. Through his career, Khoory has represented the UAE on international stages, speaking about innovation and social enterprise at global forums.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I prioritize rest, movement, and mindfulness before diving into meetings or creative work. Productivity comes from focus and balance, not constant motion. I dedicate uninterrupted time to strategy and reflection, and I choose to surround myself with people who bring energy to fuel ideas.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I believe in practicing alchemy. I take what is in front of me and evolve it into something better. I start with context, understand the people affected, and then iterate quickly. I build prototypes, test them early, and refine them based on feedback from partners or clients.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The rise of transparent, measurable philanthropy. We are entering a period where impact investing and social entrepreneurship share the same rigor as venture capital. Accountability and innovation in the social sector are no longer optional.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Deep rest gives me the clarity to think strategically and stay grounded through long-term projects. Also, I’ve learned that it’s not about hustling harder, it’s about creating with barakah — divine flow. When something is aligned, it moves with ease.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Start building sooner. Do not wait for the perfect plan or perfect timing. Test early, fail fast, and learn in real time. Execution is the best teacher.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Pleasure is not the end goal. It is a result of inner peace and progress. When your actions align with your values, joy happens naturally.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I believe in constantly reassessing. Check in quarterly with your goals. Are you on track to show up as the person you want in the world? If not, declutter your space and mind. Surround yourself with people, ideas, and environments that give you energy rather than take it away.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I pause completely. Stillness helps me reset.I love to go for walks. The goal is to create space for clarity to return.
I have learnt to operate from alignment rather than pressure. I’ve learned to trust timing, stay grounded in service, and let things unfold naturally. When you build from peace, everything expands with ease.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Slowing down to think clearly before acting. In business, everyone’s racing, but I’ve found that real progress comes from moving with clarity. Every time I pause to reconnect with the core “niyyah” or intention, whether it’s a deal, a partnership, or a new idea, the outcome always compounds.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Focus on contracts and distribution as much as creativity. Great ideas only matter if they reach the right audience. I validate market need early by talking directly with clients and building according to their feedback. I learned that ideas are abundant, but implementation creates results. You must constantly adapt, mainly when operating in diverse global markets.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A giving platform that lets people align their donations with their values while tracking results. This idea evolved into Two Point Five, which connects donors directly with transparent, high-impact nonprofits. The goal is to make giving an act of shared responsibility.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
My entire life runs on the Notes app. Every goal, idea, to-do, reflection, and thought is written down as it’s simple, fast, and always with me.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The best money you can spend is the kind that uplifts and connects you with others. For me, that’s what wealth is really about: using what you have to create warmth, connection, and a sense of barakah.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I have many books I go back to: A New Earth, The Untethered Soul, and the classic The Alchemist. Each one hits differently depending on the season I’m in, but I always find myself reconnecting to their core message: self-awareness, surrender, and trusting yourself more. They remind me to live consciously and trust the flow of life.
Key learnings
- Prioritize stillness and clarity over constant motion: Productivity comes from operating with intention and alignment rather than hustle. Taking time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with core purposes (“niyyah”) leads to outcomes that compound naturally and move with greater ease.
- Start building before you’re ready: Don’t wait for the perfect plan or timing. Test early, fail fast, and learn through real execution. Ideas are abundant, but implementation creates results, and market validation through direct feedback matters more than theoretical perfection.
- Focus on distribution and contracts as much as creativity: Great ideas only matter if they reach the right audience and have proper structures in place. Whether in business or philanthropy, success requires both innovation and the practical systems to deliver impact at scale.
- Regularly reassess your alignment with your values: Check quarterly whether your actions, environment, and relationships align with who you want to be in the world. Declutter anything that drains energy rather than providing it, and trust that when you build from peace and authentic purpose, everything expands naturally.