YBA Kanoo was founded in 1890 when the late Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo took over a small shop selling consumer goods from his father at the age of 22. Today, the group has seven key divisions: Kanoo Global Investments, Kanoo Ventures, Kanoo Travel, Kanoo Shipping, Kanoo Logistics, Kanoo Real Estate, and Kanoo Industrial and Energy. The group has a diversified portfolio of businesses and joint ventures around the world. Wholly owned activities are located across the Gulf States: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Oman, and Qatar, with expansion across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Kanoo Real Estate signed an agreement with Almoayyed Contracting Group to start construction of the Kanoo Museum in May 2023.