Mangaluru: The Karnataka government’s Department of Kannada and Culture has announced the 2025–26 Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards, honouring Zakariya Jokatte, founder of Al Muzain Company in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and chairman of M Friends Charitable Trust in Mangaluru, under the “Non-Resident Kannadiga (NRI)” category.

Born on May 10, 1958, in Thokur, Jokatte, Zakariya is the eldest of five children of Haji B. Shekhoonji and Katheejamma. His journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful global entrepreneur is marked by sheer hard work and perseverance. Having discontinued his formal education early, he began his career doing small-scale jobs, selling jaggery, welding, and working as a daily-wage labourer. During his early years abroad, he even carried cement up to the 28th floor of

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