Editing Ahmad Adaya

{{Infobox person
| name        = Ahmad Adaya
| image       = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| birth_name  = Ahmad Adaya
| birth_date  = 1927
| birth_place = [[Bantva]] [[Kathiawar]] ([[Gujarat]]) [[British India|India]]
| death_date  = 2006
| death_place = 
| nationality = [[Americans|American]]
| other_names = 
| known_for   = 
| occupation  =  Philanthropist
}}

'''Ahmad Adaya''' (1927–2006) was an American real estate tycoon and [[philanthropist]] who was the founding partner of a [[California]] real estate company IDS Real Estate Group. He was known for establishing the New Horizon School for [[Islam|Muslim religious education]] in [[southern California]].<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-17-me-adaya17-story.html|title=Ahmad Adaya, 78; Real Estate Tycoon Helped to Found Muslim School|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=2006-02-17|access-date=2012-08-23}}</ref>

== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Adaya was born in [[Bantva]] [[Kathiawar]], in the [[Gujarat]] state of India to a [[Memon people|Memon]] family. At a young age, he worked with his father and uncle in the salt distribution business. He married Amina Dada in 1946 and the couple had a daughter. In 1947, when India was partitioned, Adaya migrated to [[Pakistan]]. He received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[economics]] from [[University of Karachi]] in 1950. Later, he began a [[textile]] business as a [[Distribution (business)|distributor]] of [[yarn]]s made in [[Japan]] and [[Europe]].<ref name="latimes"/>

Adaya went to [[Southern California]] to visit his family in the mid-1970s. Here, he had a heart attack and made the decision to stay in the [[United States]]. From then on, he and his wife spent part of each year in [[Santa Monica]] until immigrating to the United States in 1976. His six grown children (five daughters and a son) also settled in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]].<ref name="latimes"/>

== Business career ==
Adaya started his career in America buying and leasing industrial properties in the [[Los Angeles]] area. Soon after, he established the Meridian Group, a [[property management]] company based in [[West Los Angeles]]. He owned the [[Shangri-La Hotel]] in Santa Monica. He donated land for Westside campus, one of the four campuses of the New Horizon School, in 1984, and the money to build an auditorium for the [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena campus]]. He also sponsored [[Islamic]] art exhibitions in [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] and funded a publication on Islamic artifacts.<ref name="slrresearch.org"/>

There is also a fellowship called the Ahmad Adaya Cardiothoracic Research Fellowship established at St Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center and [[Columbia University]] College of Physicians and Surgeons in his honor. An [[Financial endowment|endowment]] under the name of Ahmad Adaya Cardiothoracic Research Fellowship Program has been established at St.Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center, [[Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons]].<ref name="slrresearch.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.slrresearch.org/_pages/aac_fellowship.htm|title=SLRHC Robotics and Surgical Sciences Lab|publisher=Str Research.Org|date=2011-02-11|accessdate=2012-08-23}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Bantva]]

* [[Memon people]]

* [[Pakistani Americans]]

== References ==


== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321121018/http://parvinshere.com/Review/award.htm A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!]