Emaar Properties Board of Directors

Mohamed Ali Alabbar

Founder & Managing Director of Emaar Properties, Founder & Director of Noon.com Chairman of Eagle Hills, Chairman of Americana Group.

Mr. Mohamed Ali Rashed Alabbar is a global entrepreneur with active interests in real estate, retail, hospitality, e-commerce, technology, logistics, F&B and venture capital.

Experience

Since 1997, he has been at the forefront of global real estate, leading marquee real-estate development companies such as Emaar Properties (developer of world’s tallest building) and Eagle Hills (leading emerging markets real estate developer). He has spearheaded the growth of Emaar Properties attaining unmatched track record of successfully developing iconic futuristic residential, retail, entertainment, hospitality & leisure assets transforming the lifestyles of people globally. Over the years he has developed world-class mixed used projects, including his retail businesses, across 20+ markets of the Middle East, North & Sub Saharan Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and South & South East Asia and US.

Business Acumen

In addition, he has driven the growth of several regional players into world-renown sector champions including Americana Group (a multibillion-dollar food business, the largest integrated food company in the Middle East) and noon.com (the leading e-commerce platform in the region). He is also shareholder in Artstreet Limited which owns interests in real estate business. He is the Chairman of Zand, one of the world’s first combined digital corporate and retail bank to launch from the UAE.

Education

A graduate in Finance and Business Administration from the Seattle University in the US, also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Seattle University, an Honorary Doctorate from London School of Economics and Political Science and an Honorary Doctorate from Sun Moon University in South Korea.

Mr Jamal Bin Thaniah, born in 1958, holds a bachelor’s degree in Public management.

Mr Bin Thaniah joined Port Rashid in October 1981 and progressed through the management until May 1991 when the Dubai government merged port Rashid with Jebel Ali port under Dubai Ports Authority (DPA). He has been appointed as Assistant Managing Director.

In 1999, one of the first initiatives of Mr Bin Thaniah and DPA chairman in the international port operation market encompassing Beirut, Djibouti and Jeddah led to the creation of Dubai Ports International (DPI).

In 2001 he was appointed as a Managing Director to masterplan the development of Jebel Ali as one of the biggest terminals in the world, increasing its capacity from 20 million TEUs at that time to 50 million TEUs.

In 2004, Bin Thaniah played a significant role in acquiring Sealand world terminals to give DPI a real international footprint.

Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah is the Co-Founder of DP World, the 4th largest port operator in the world with a capacity of 100 Million TEUs in the year 2006; DPI concluded the acquisition of P&O Ports to become the 3rd largest port operator in the world and DPW was created to become a real international port operator company worth USD 22 billion.

In 2006 Bin Thaniah was appointed a Vice-Chairman and GCEO of Ports & Freezone world, including DP World, Freezone world and P&O Ferries, until his retirement in January 2017.

In 2008, following the global crisis, Bin Thaniah led the restructuring of Dubai World, a conglomerate in the real estate (Nakheel), private equity (Istithmar) and Dry dock world.

Since 2012, Mr Ben Thaniah has sat as an independent member on the board of Directors of Emaar Dubai and has previously served as a board member in different entities.

In Sep 2017, Mr Bin Thaniah was elected as a non‐executive board member of Emaar the Economic City. Mr Bin Thaniah is a regular speaker in the international ports and maritime conferences and is amongst few who won 3 prestigious international awards:

In 2006 he won Lloyds list personality of the year,

In 2007 he won the personality of the year by Sea trade,

In 2010 he won the highest lifetime award by sea trade ‘’ the lifetime achievement award’’.

He is well respected by all major international ports operators and the shipping lines with extensive knowledge about developing large scale port operations and logistic zone, including the business knowledge process in the shipping line routes and rotations.

Chairman, President & CEO, Starling Holding Limited
Mr Ahmed Jawa embodies the Middle East’s success story. As Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Starling Holding Limited, Mr Jawa has continually set business and entrepreneurial excellence standards.

The renowned Saudi Arabian entrepreneur established Starling Holding, an international investment group dedicated to private equity and venture capital, just after graduating from college, when private equity was in its infancy in the Middle East region.

Mr Jawa’s impeccable corporate expertise in oil and gas, healthcare, hospitality, home entertainment, and real estate development helped grow Starling Holding into a global investment leader, with business interests in the Middle East, Europe, USA, North Africa, and South Asia.

His business acumen was recognised in 1996, at the highest level, when he was honoured as one of the ‘Global Leaders of Tomorrow’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Mr Jawa’s expertise and entrepreneurial skills have made him a trusted advisor for global companies that operate in the Middle East.
He is the Vice-Chairman of Emaar Properties, the developer of global icons including Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai, and Chairman of its Emaar Properties’ Investment Committee and Risk Committee.

He is also a member of its Audit Committee, offering advice on Emaar’s global expansion plans.
Mr Jawa is also a Board Member of Emaar Development, the leading developer of residential and commercial build-to-sell assets in the UAE, and a member of its Investment Committee and Nomination & Remuneration Committee.

Mr Jawa is Chairman of Emaar Middle East (KSA), developer of high-value projects in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, Mr Jawa is the Chairman of Emaar Turkey and serves on Emaar Misr’s board in Egypt. He is also the Chairman of its Audit Committee and a member of its Investment Committee.

He is on the Board of RAK Petroleum, an Oslo Børs-listed oil and gas investment company and serves as the Chairman of its Audit Committee.
Mr Jawa is also on the Board of National Pipe Company Ltd (NPC), a joint-venture between Saudi-based enterprises and Sumitomo Corporation Group of Japan that manufactures and supplies quality pipes for the oil, gas, water and construction services.

He is a former member of the Board of ‘Emaar, The Economic City’ and its Nomination & Remuneration Committee. A public joint-stock company listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), ‘Emaar, The Economic City is undertaking the modernisation and execution of King Abdullah Economic City, the largest master planned community of its kind in the Middle East region.

Mr Jawa was previously Chairman of Disney Jawa Enterprises, which introduced a range of Walt Disney licenced products to the Middle East region. In addition, he was the Chairman & CEO of Stallions Home Video, which redefined home entertainment in the region, and Coflexip, a joint venture with France’s Elf Aquitane, to lay underwater pipes for crude oil distribution.

Mr Jawa holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.

Mr Buti Obaid Almulla is Chairman of Mohamad and Obaid Almulla Group, a Dubai-based family-owned business launched in 1942, and a market leader in key strategic economic sectors: Hospitality, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Real Estate, Travel & Tourism and Investments.

He has extensive professional business experience that spans over 31 years (since January 1990) across the banking, finance, real estate, hospitality, and investment sectors. Born in 1967, Mr Almulla holds a diploma in business administration from Newberry College, Boston.

He holds several esteemed positions, Chairman – Dubai Insurance Company PSC, Vice Chairman of Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC, Director of Emirates NBD Bank (PJSC), and Director of Dubai Refreshment PJSC.

As Group Chief Human Resource Officer and Executive member of Emirates NBD Group, Eman Abdulrazzaq is responsible for over 26,000 employees across nine countries. Eman has been instrumental in leading a dynamic and proactive working practice cultural change and driving Future Skills development to reskill and build out an agile workforce that can embrace the developing digital landscape.

Before joining Emirates NBD, Eman was Regional Head of Strategy and Chief of Staff for HSBC Bank Middle East Limited for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) countries. She also had responsibility for overseeing Sustainable Finance.

She started her career with HSBC originally as a Corporate Banker before moving to Human Resources where she led the function through several complex change programs including the implementation of new technology, which led to a significant cultural change and new ways of working for both HR and its customers across the MENAT region.

When her role at HSBC expanded to include Chief of Staff and Strategy and Planning, she was a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, MENAT, leading on the delivery of several strategic programs with a focus on growth acceleration to deliver increased business and revenue growth. Globally connected, Eman also worked in close partnership with Senior Management in the HSBC Group to manage M&A transactions in the region and successfully drive growth across the region, enhanced by her ability to build strong external stakeholder, customer, and regulatory body relationships.

Eman is currently the Chairperson of the UAE Banks Federation (UBF) HR Committee and has worked closely with regulators and central banks on introducing sound remuneration policies across the UAE, Bahrain Oman and KSA. Eman has been appointed as a Board member of Dubai Refreshment P.J.S.C. She was also previously a board member of the HSBC Middle East Finance Company.

Eman has been a board member of Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) where she played a key role in encouraging and supporting the youth of the UAE to pursue careers in banking and finance. Throughout her career, Eman has continued to mentor and coach numerous individuals and is passionate about developing Emirati talent in the corporate world.

Eman has spoken at various public forums on topics as diverse as regional economics and unconscious bias in the Workplace and was a speaker on Future Skills in the Workplace at the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2019 and a keynote speaker at EXPO 2020 on Tolerance and Inclusion.

One of the UAE’s young leaders, H.E. Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al-Falasi, has nearly 25 years of practical experience in various sectors with a number of government agencies at the local level in the Emirate of Dubai. He graduated from the Dubai Police Academy in 1994 and worked as a supervisor in the scholarship programme for various academic levels, which provided Dubai Police with many young competencies. In 2004, he served as Director of HR Department Planning, focusing on the development of HR management mechanisms and promoting technical transformation using the government’s GRP system. He then served as Deputy Director of the Directorate General of HR at Dubai Police in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, the Dubai Police Regulatory Structures Committee appointed him as Vice Chairman. H.E. then moved to the non-governmental sector, working as Executive Director of Corporate Services for Nakheel Properties from 2010 to 2017.

H.E. led many innovative projects in the fields of leadership, strategic planning, and government agenda; supervised the HR Accelerator Laboratory, which has produced important positive results on the process of localizing jobs; and strengthened the status of the human element in the UAE. Since taking over as Director General of the DGHR Department in November 2017, H.E. has also chaired the Dubai Future Council on Talent, which is part of the Dubai Future Councils, with the goal of launching quality initiatives aimed at developing solutions to challenges at the national and international levels, as well as many other projects and initiatives that enhance the status of the human element and open up broad horizons for UAE cadres. In addition, he serves as chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government’s board of trustees.

At the community level, H.E. is the vice chairman of the board of trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, as well as a board member of the Dubai-based Dar Al-Bar Charity.In 1994, H.E. received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Dubai Police Academy.

H.E. Ahmed Saeed bin Meshar is a distinguished UAE legal expert and seasoned legislator, serving as the Secretary General of the Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai (SLC) since its inception in 2014. Additionally, Bin Meshar holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Dubai International Marine Sports Club and acts as the Legal Advisor to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

Over the course of his illustrious career, spanning more than two decades, Bin Meshar has excelled in various pivotal roles, amassing a wealth of expertise in the legal and legislative arenas. Bin Meshar’s journey commenced as a Senior Legal Researcher at the Government of Dubai Legal Advisor’s Office at H.H. the Dubai Ruler’s Court in 2006. He subsequently advanced to the position of Director of the Legislation Directorate at the Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department (LAD), where he participated in drafting and reviewing hundreds of local legislative instruments issued by the Government of Dubai. He was also assigned as the acting Director of the Government Contracts and Agreements Directorate within LAD, and was instrumental in developing procedures for drafting and reviewing government contracts. Bin Meshar later served as the Legal Advisor to the Office of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai in 2009. In 2014, Bin Meshar was appointed as the Director of Legal Affairs at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)., a position he held until his appointment as the SLC Secretary General pursuant to a Resolution of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai

Bin Meshar continues to make distinguished contributions to the development of the legislation-making process in the Emirate, providing legal opinions that support decision-makers. He also participates in reviewing federal legislation referred to the Dubai Government for input and is an active member of the federal committees formed to review federal legislation in his current tenure as the SLC Secretary General.

Throughout his distinguished career, H.E. has managed to earn the trust of the UAE wise leadership, thanks to his loyalty and unwavering dedication to serving the interests of his homeland. He is also respected by his peers and colleagues for his integrity, work ethic, pleasant demeanor and exceptional leadership skills.

Bin Meshar earned his Bachelor of Laws and Police Sciences degree from the Dubai Police Academy in 2002. He later pursued a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Kent, UK, graduating in 2006. Currently, he is diligently working towards achieving his Doctorate degree in Private Law from the Dubai Police Academy. This underscores his unwavering commitment to enriching his academic and professional expertise in the legal domain, mastering new skills, and remaining abreast of the finest global practices. Bin Meshar’s endeavours are fueled by a profound passion for legislation and a steadfast dedication to advancing legislative work in the Emirate of Dubai.

H. E. Omar Hamad BuShahab is currently the CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment in Dubai. He has a master’s degree in quality management and over 27 years of experience, having held several positions before taking on his current role at the establishment.

He has held several positions within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, including Executive Director of the Commercial Registration and Licencing Sector, Executive Director of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector, Executive Director of the Institutional Support Sector, and Manager of Business Sector Development Management. He also held several positions in the Dubai Land Department, including Manager of Real Estate Appraisal Management, Head of Guarantee Accounts Department, Head of Research and Studies Department, Head of Registration Department for Real Estate Brokerage Offices, and Head of Quality and Administrative Operations Department, after beginning his career as a programmer in 1997.

In addition to serving on the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning of the Emirate of Dubai and the Supreme Committee for the Development of the Hatta Region.

Omar Karim is the Group Chief Investment Officer of Dubai Holding and is responsible for driving the overall investment strategy and capital allocation for the group as well as overseeing the execution and management of its strategic and financial investments. In addition to this role, Omar is also responsible for the group’s strategy and value creation mandate, a role which involves leading the group’s strategy planning and development as well as the execution of group-wide value creation initiatives and strategic projects.

Omar also leads Dubai Holding Investments as its Chief Executive Officer. Dubai Holding Investments is the group’s investment arm that is dedicated to executing a range of strategic and financial investments through direct and indirect strategies, across asset classes and with a global mandate.

Omar has extensive experience in private and public transactions and has a proven track record of delivering meaningful impact across all asset classes. He has been instrumental in diversifying Dubai Holding’s portfolio across asset classes and sectors and in expanding the group’s international footprint through cross-border investments.

Since joining the group in 2017, Omar has successfully led several major transactions, including among others:
• The ongoing merger and integration of leading real estate developers Nakheel and Meydan into Dubai Holding.
• The acquisition of a strategic stake in Emirates NBD, one of the region’s largest banks, whereby the group became its second- largest shareholder.
• The initial public offering of TECOM Group, developer and operator of strategic, sector-focused business districts across Dubai.
• The initial public offering of Empower, the world’s largest district cooling infrastructure platform.
• The landmark merger and integration of Meraas into Dubai Holding.
• The formation of a joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management in relation to certain key retail operating assets and development projects in Dubai.
• The sale of Dubai Holding’s stake in Dubai Creek Harbour to Emaar Properties.
• The acquisition of a strategic stake in Emaar Properties, whereby Dubai Holding becomes its second-largest shareholder.
• The formation of a mixed-use real estate joint venture with Aldar Properties.
• The 100% take-private of DXB Entertainments and its integration into Dubai Holding.

In addition to leading the group’s investment strategy and managing its global investments portfolio, Omar actively serves and has served as a member on the boards of several companies across multiple sectors. These currently include Emaar Properties (real estate), TECOM Group (commercial and industrial real estate), Azadea Group (consumer retail), Certares Holdings (travel and tourism), Aurora Holding Company Limited (a mixed-use real estate joint venture with Aldar) and Merex Investment Group (real estate private equity). Previous Board memberships include the Dubai Hills Estate Group (a mixed-use real estate joint venture with Emaar).

Prior to joining Dubai Holding, Omar worked as an investment banker at UBS Investment Bank, where he was responsible for the execution of a broad range of mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions with global clients. During his earlier career, he worked with KPMG in Australia as part of their corporate finance and valuations practice.

Omar holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Monash University, Australia.