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Tahir Gözel (born 1972, Maku, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran) is an Azerbaijani-leading businessman known for his diverse contributions to both the corporate and sports worlds, the eldest son of Abdolbari Gözel. He is the president of Qarabağ Football Club, a team that has achieved remarkable success under his leadership, both locally and internationally. Gözel is also the founder of the Tahir Gözel Initiative for Development (TGID), an organization focused on promoting sustainable development and socio-economic advancement.

Early years

Born into a family with a strong business background, as the eldest son of Abdolbari Gözel in 1972 in Maku, Gözel moved to Turkey in 1981 and Tahir Gozal graduated from the Management faculty of Sheffield University in 1994 and Sup De Co University in France in 1995. He started his career at the Sun Tea company in Dubai in 1995 as General Coordinator and worked in this position until 2000. He was then promoted to the position of Vice President in Sun Tea. Since 2002, he has worked as Vice President of Middle East Petroleum.

Career with Qarabağ Football Club

After the occupation of Aghdam during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1993, the club relocated to Baku. Under Gözel’s leadership which started as Vice-President in 2004 and continued as President of club in 2015, Qarabağ FC became a dominant force in Azerbaijani football, winning eleven Azerbaijan Premier League titles and eight Azerbaijan Cups. The club reached a significant milestone in 2017 by becoming the first Azerbaijani team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage. This accomplishment has solidified Qarabağ’s reputation on the European stage, with the club now holding the record for playing the most UEFA matches of any team in Azerbaijan.

Business ventures and sustainable agriculture

Beyond football, Gözel is deeply involved in business and philanthropy. He founded the Tahir Gözel Initiative for Development (TGID), which focused on sustainable development in vulnerable regions, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS). TGID works with NGOs, think tanks, and international development organizations to formulate cross-boundary policies and initiatives that aim to reverse climate change globally. TGID’s mission is to be a force of good for the ecology and to reverse climate change globally. Founded by Tahir Gözel, TGID is a non-profit organization. Gözel Seeds, one of his enterprises, specializes in high-yield, resilient seed varieties. The company’s research in seed genetics contributes to Azerbaijan’s agricultural sector and has formed partnerships in Africa and the Commonwealth to enhance food security. Gözel also owns Greentech. Established in 2011, GreenTech specializes in the cultivation of vegetables and seedlings within modern greenhouse conditions. Notably, we boast one of the largest tomato production facilities in Azerbaijan, managing 70 hectares of cultivated land. Over the years, GreenTech has expanded its operations through subsidiary companies.

Agrovita focuses on the distribution and trade of agricultural products in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. "Agrovita" LLC has been operating since 2015 to support the development strategy of agriculture in Azerbaijan. The company engaged in the sale of seeds, fertilizers, biological control products, pesticides, and greenhouse supplies. With the aim of intensifying production and increasing efficiency, Agrovita LLC Exhibition Sales Stores operate in Shamkir, Goychay, Salyan, Sabirabad, Jalilabad, Masalli, Barda, Guba, Khachmaz regions, as well as in Gala settlement of Baku city. Expanding the footprint beyond Azerbaijan, Gözel established Gozal Tabiat LLC Gözel introduced the Azerbaijan Seed Company, the country's first commercial vegetable seed breeding company, operating breeding stations in Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.

Tahir Gözel is the founder of Proxima Tech Solutions, a company known for providing cutting-edge telecommunications and IT infrastructure services. Proxima Tech Solutions is focusing on digital transformation and supporting the technological infrastructure required for modern business operations. Gözel’s involvement with Proxima Tech Solutions reflects his broader commitment to innovation and sustainability, particularly in the context of utilizing technology to address global challenges. Through his connection with Proxima, Gözel advocates for the integration of advanced technologies that enhance communication, optimize resource use, and drive efficiency across various industries. His leadership in fostering private sector engagement in digital solutions aligns with his vision for creating sustainable, technology-driven development models, both in Azerbaijan and internationally.

Middle Corridor

Tahir Gözel is a proponent of the Middle Corridor, a key trade route connecting Europe and Asia via Central Asia and the Caucasus. His promotion of this corridor aims to boost regional trade, enhance connectivity, and strengthen Azerbaijan’s role as a logistics hub, contributing to the development of regional infrastructure. TGID initiative “Path to Net Zero for the Middle Corridor” acts as a bridge between public and private organizations aiming to contribute to unleashing the economic power of the Middle Corridor in a sustainable and green way according to the sustainable development goals of the UNDP. They work to develop a comprehensive baseline study of the climate impact of the Middle Corridor that puts forward the guidelines to further improve the energy efficiency of the corridor through the greening of supply chain logistics and further integration of green technologies according to global green compliance requirements and best practices.

Commonwealth

In his meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, Gözel emphasized Azerbaijan's role in hosting COP29 and its accomplishments in agriculture, particularly seed production. This led to a significant cooperation agreement with Commonwealth nations, reinforcing Azerbaijan's collaboration in agricultural innovations.

Philosophical interests

Gözel’s philosophical influences include figures like Jiddu Krishnamurti, David Bohm, and the Azerbaijani poet Imadaddin Nasimi. Gözel draws inspiration from Nasimi’s themes of humanism and the unity of existence. Additionally, he is influenced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s concept of the noosphere, which emphasizes the evolution of human consciousness towards unity—this philosophy underpins his work through TGID, where he fosters collaboration for global sustainable development. Tahir Gözel is also the founder of the Tusi-Bohm Planetarium in Park Bulvar, Baku, where he introduced the first new-generation 4K planetarium in the Caucasus.

Private equity investments

Gözel is a private equity investor with interests in UK healthcare, US high-tech sectors, agtech, biotech, fintech, and more. His investments include Enko Chem, a developer of new crop protection products, and Brightseed, a biosciences company using AI to explore natural solutions for human health. Major investor along with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Personal life

Tahir Gözel has three sons and is deeply connected to the Karabakh region, which influences both his work with Qarabağ FC and his philanthropic endeavors. His father, Abdolbari Gözel, is also a major figure in Azerbaijan’s business sector as chairman of Azersun Holding, which is heavily involved in promoting sustainability initiatives, including support for COP29.