Business Leader Sir Aziz Hadeed Dies

Sir Aziz Hadeed, one of Antigua and Barbuda’s best-known businessmen, philanthropists and public figures, has died at the age of 86.

Sir Aziz died on Saturday after a lifetime that spanned business, politics, education, aviation, energy and charitable work across Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean.

Widely regarded as one of the chief architects of the Hadeed Group of Companies, Sir Aziz joined the family business in 1965 after completing his secondary education. While working, he pursued studies and training in accounting and business through correspondence courses, developing the business acumen that would later help shape one of the Eastern Caribbean’s leading enterprises.

In 1980, he became chairman of the Hadeed Group and oversaw its transformation into a multi-million-dollar corporation with investments across several sectors.

Under his stewardship, the company expanded into regional aviation and energy. Sir Aziz served as chairman of the board of LIAT (1974) Limited from 1995 to 1998 and was credited with helping guide the Hadeed Group’s decision to establish the Antigua Power Company in 1996, a major development in Antigua and Barbuda’s energy sector.

Beyond business, Sir Aziz had a lengthy career in public service. He was appointed an Independent Senator in 1994 and served two terms before later joining Cabinet from 2004 to 2006.

His achievements in business earned regional and international recognition. Ernst & Young named him “Master Entrepreneur of the Year” for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean in 1995. In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Last October, Sir Aziz was knighted by Prince William at Windsor Castle, receiving the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George in recognition of his contributions to national development and philanthropy. His wife was also bestowed with the title Mahasen, Lady Hadeed.

In recent years, Sir Aziz became closely associated with the growth and development of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, where he served as inaugural chairman of the board beginning in 2019.

Under his leadership, enrollment at the campus grew from 178 students to more than 1,100 within five years. He also helped secure US$80 million to support expansion plans aimed at growing the campus into a facility capable of accommodating 5,000 students. Planned developments included new classrooms, sports facilities and dormitories to support students from Antigua and Barbuda and across the OECS.

Sir Aziz personally donated more than EC$1.2 million to support the startup of the campus and funded annual scholarships for students, increasing the number of scholarships over the years to help make tertiary education more accessible to less fortunate students.

During his tenure, the campus also expanded its curriculum to include programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change and the Blue Economy, areas seen as critical to the future of small island states like Antigua and Barbuda.

Sir Aziz was also known for extensive charitable work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated EC$500,000 to the government’s food programme and partnered with the Jumby Bay Fund on a EC$1.5 million initiative that distributed more than 3,000 food packages weekly for over 18 months to families affected by economic hardship.

He also contributed EC$4 million to support utility vouchers for vulnerable and elderly citizens during the pandemic, when many residents lost employment following the collapse of tourism activity.

According to information released previously about his contributions, Sir Aziz donated approximately EC$300,000 annually to assist people with medical expenses and to support local hospitals, with donations exceeding EC$1 million over the last five years alone.

His philanthropy also extended to sports and culture. Sir Aziz financially supported the Team Antigua Island Girls during the Atlantic rowing challenge and later assisted with the team’s Pacific rowing challenge. He also donated 1.5 acres of land valued at EC$900,000 to the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra for the construction of a 1,000-seat performance centre to support youth music development.

Sir Aziz’s contributions to business, education, healthcare, youth development and national progress made him one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most influential figures in modern public life.

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