The foundation of the firm was laid in 1974 by the late Mohsin Haider Darwish, who steered it to meet the challenges of a nation on its path to rapid development and also to measure up to the aspirations of its people.

MHD LLC has diverse business presence and varied interests in trading, contracting and projects. It has brought reputed brands to Oman like Land Rover, Jaguar, McLaren, Volvo, MG, Ford, Ashok Leyland, Huawei, Hitachi, KDK and DAIKIN.

Having graduated from Sultan Qaboos University with a Bachelor in Computer Science, she started her career with Petroleum Development Oman as a Programmer.

She joined the family business in 1994 and under the guidance, support and motivation of her father, she gradually moved up the ladder.

Having started at the grassroots level and involved in every division, she grew to understand the business processes minutely. This also prepared her to tackle the challenges of a business house and empowered her to take business decisions early on. Continuing their legacy and leading the ACERE cluster, Areej Darwish is an outstanding example of successful women’s empowerment and an inspiration to all industry peers.

Her leadership, professional management, ability to spot opportunities has steered the organisation to the heights of success.

For Areej, success in itself isn’t a destination, but a continuous journey towards excellence.

Her vision for MHD LLC group is to see the organisation flourish by looking for new opportunities, strengthening relations with their business partners, expanding their footprint into new sectors by building new relationships and partnerships while continually keeping a keen eye on the financial performance and helping young Omanis to grow and actualise their potential.

She believes in continuing the quest for excellence by preparing themselves to keep pace with the fast-paced business environment and embracing opportunities that unfold in the process.

As a leader, she leads by example and directs the organisation in a way that makes it more coherent and cohesive. She follows a philosophy of leading with optimism and positivity as a positive culture is the key to sustainable business success.

She values her employees and considers them their invaluable assets. Collaborative discussion, listening and analysing the issues is the key.

Areej has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, which validate her position as an exceptional achiever and a strong role model for other women. These include being named as Forbes 2021 The Middle East’s Power Businesswomen;  Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year – Oman 2020; International Investor Award; Forbes 2020 The Middle East’s 100 Powerful Businesswomen; Women Leadership & Excellence Awards (WLEA) for Excellence in Business 2020;  Women Leadership & Excellence Awards (WLEA) for Most Inspirational Woman 2020, among many others.

Her son, Mohsin Hani Al Bahrani, has joined the family business as CEO of ACERE (Automotive, Construction Equipment and Renewable Energy) unit of MHD LLC and is redefining the business with his strategies and innovative partnerships.