A global entrepreneur with active interests in high-value property development, retail, luxury hospitality, mining and commodities, Mohamed Alabbar is the founder of Emaar Properties PJSC.
Ranked second in the list of the ‘World’s 100 Most Powerful Arabs – Leaders’ 2014 by Arabian Business, the leading regional business magazine, Mr. Alabbar is well-known for his pioneering role in positioning Dubai as a world-class city.
He spearheads the growth strategy of Emaar, which has a presence in over 18 countries, with a focus on developing prime real estate, shopping mall and hospitality and leisure assets. Mr. Alabbar heads Emaar’s joint venture with Giorgio Armani to set up the Armani-branded luxury hotel and resort chain in key international destinations.
He is also the Founder and Chairman of Africa Middle East Resources (AMER), which unlocks the value of natural resource opportunities in Africa and links them with large consumer markets in Asia. He is a board member of Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and real estate development company that funds and develops large-scale projects in high-growth international markets.
Mr. Alabbar is the Chairman of Tradewinds Corporation, a premier leisure and hospitality owner-operator in Malaysia, focused on developing world-class real estate developments in the country and Southeast Asia. He is also the founder and major shareholder of RSH, the leading Singapore-based pan-Asian marketer, distributor and retailer of some 60 international fashion and lifestyle brands through more than 70 outlets in over 20 countries.
Mr. Alabbar sits on the board of Noor Investment Group, an affiliate of Dubai Group, the leading diversified financial company of Dubai Holding. He is also a member of the Dubai World Expo 2020 Preparatory Committee. He was the founding Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), and served as a member of the Dubai Executive Council and Dubai Economic Council.
A graduate in Finance and Business Administration from the Seattle University in the US, Mr. Alabbar also holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University, and serves on its Board of Trustees. A keen sportsman, Mr Alabbar is an active member of the UAE’s endurance horse racing community.
Mr. Jamal Majid Bin Theniyah is Non-Executive Director and Vice Chairman of DP World Limited.
A UAE national, he joined Port Rashid Authority (PRA) in October 1981, becoming Assistant Managing Director of Dubai Ports Authority in 1991. In 2001, he was appointed Managing Director. In 2005, during the merger of Dubai Ports Authority and Dubai Ports International, Mr. Bin Theniyah became the DP World Vice Chairman, and in October 2009 became Non-Executive Director and Vice Chairman.
Mr. Bin Theniyah is the Chief Executive Director of Port & Free Zone World, the holding company of DP World Limited, Economic Zones World (EZW) and P&O Ferries.
In September 2009 he was appointed Non-Executive Independent Director of Etihad Rail Company PJSC (Abu Dhabi).
Abdul Rahman Hareb Al Hareb is a board member of Emaar Properties having been appointed to the Board in 2012. He is also the Chairman of Board of TAIB Bank and Chairman of Dubai AeroSpace Enterprise Audit Committee.
Al Hareb serves as Chief Internal Audit Officer at Dubai Holding, a global investment group. In this role, he is responsible for managing, planning and supervising the annual Dubai Holding Audit, overall risk assessment, internal control structure and corporate governance evaluation. He also oversees the auditing of all Dubai Holding subsidiaries.
Al Hareb has over eighteen years’ experience in audit, risk management and banking. Prior to joining Dubai Holding, he held various senior positions at National Bank of Dubai and Financial Audit Department. Most recently, Al Hareb was Chairman of the Board at Oman National Investment Corporation Holding, as well as a board member of StandardAero US. Previously, he was Vice President of Internal Audit at Dubai Islamic Bank.
Al-Hareb is a UAE National and holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Seattle University, United States. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).
Abdullah Saeed Bin Majed Belyoahah is a board member Emaar Properties, having been appointed to the board in 2012. He is also a Board Member of the National Bonds Corporation and a member of its Audit Committee. In the past, he had also served as Head of Operations of the Dubai Financial Support Fund, an entity under the Government of Dubai, and was actively involved in the successful completion of the restructuring of Dubai World and Nakheel PJSC.
Belyoahah is the Director of the Debt Management Division of the Department of Finance, Government of Dubai, and is responsible for the consolidation of Dubai sovereign debt, establishing the Debt Management Office and investor relations operation.
He has worked on several key financing initiatives of the Government of Dubai including a US$1.93 billion Sukuk in 2009, a US$1.25 billion bond in 2010 (which won from Credit Magazine as Credit Deals of the Year), a US$800 million Salik Securitisation Programme in 2011, the US$675 million Al Sufouh tram financing in 2011, the first ever 30-year conventional bonds in 2013, and the recent 15-year Sukuk with a benchmark sized of US$750 million in April 2014. Belyoahah was part of the team that represented the Department of Finance, spearheaded by its Director General, to win the Dubai Government Excellence Award Programme.
Belyoahah has also worked with his family business, Emirates Macaroni, handling Procurement & Marketing. He started his professional career with Istithmar, serving in the consumer products and real estate verticals departments. He has worked on several key acquisitions and strategic divestment, and evaluated real estate investment opportunities globally.
Belyoahah is a graduate from the American University in Dubai with a degree in Business Administration, and had won several awards for his work on Salik Securitisation and other financial strategies.
Mr. Ahmad Thani Al Matrooshi, is a board member Emaar Properties PJSC, joined the company in 2005, bringing with him over 26 years of experience in real estate and property management.
Mr. Matrooshi is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Emaar including government affairs, media, public and community relations and overall management of Emaar Dubai.
Prior to joining Emaar, Mr. Matrooshi spent 24 years working with the Government of Dubai, serving for almost a decade as the CEO of Dubai Development Board (DDB) and for 14 years as the Deputy Director of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).
He is a Board Member of Dubai Investment Park, and is the Founder and Chairman of the non-profit Dubai Property Group (DPG). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and a Diploma in Property Management.
Mr. Ahmed Jawa, a Saudi Arabian entrepreneur, fits the profile of a true international business magnate with business experience in a host of different countries including the US, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.
Cutting his teeth in business on his own, Mr. Jawa was fresh from college when he established Starling Holding Limited, a global investment group that deals with private equity and direct investments worldwide (www.starlinggroup.com).
He is also the Founder of Contracting and Trading Company (CTC), which oversees investment opportunities and options in the GCC region and the Middle East. His expertise, professionalism and contribution to international business was underscored at the World Economic Forum in 1996 in Davos, Switzerland, where he was honoured as one of the ‘Global Leaders of Tomorrow.’
Mr. Jawa is credited with introducing a range of Walt Disney licensed products to the Middle East markets through the Disney-Jawa Enterprises, a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company and the Jawa family. Helming the joint venture as Chairman, he supervised the sales and marketing of Disney computer software, interactive multimedia, toys, home furnishing, personal care products, consumer electronics and English and Arabic videos in the region.
Mr. Jawa served as a Board member of Tricon Group, a US based oil and securities trading firm, from 1983 to 1991. He was also Chairman of Stallions Home Video LLC, a video distribution company in the Middle East, and successfully spearheaded the anti-piracy initiative in the region.
He is Board member of Emaar, The Economic City, Member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, a company listed on the Saudi Arabian stock exchange, and involved in the development of the Middle East’s largest private sector project – King Abdullah Economic City. He is Board member of Emaar Turkey and serves on the Board of Emaar MGF India.
Mr. Jawa is a Board member of Al Salam Bank and Member of the Executive Committee, a Bahraini publicly traded Islamic bank. He is also Board member of RAK Petroleum, an oil exploration company partly owned by the Ras Al Khaimah Government.
He has also served on the Boards of the Novapark Swiss Hotel Group and Mirapolice, an entertainment company that builds theme parks in France. He also served as Chairman of Coflexip Saudi Arabia, a joint venture with the French giant Elf Aquitane, which was only one of two companies in the 1980s involved in laying underwater pipes for crude oil transmission.
Mr. Jawa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of San Francisco.
Mr. Arif Obaid Saeed Al Dehail became a board member of Emaar Properties PJSC, in 2012.
He is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Port Authority, and has extensive experience in international ports and terminal operations and management, gained over 26 years of leadership roles in the port and maritime sector.
He has served as CEO of the Department of Planning & Development – Trakhees; Chief Operating Officer of DP World – UAE Region, Assistant Managing Director of DP World – UAE Region, and as Senior Vice President – Global Operations & Engineering and Acting Senior Vice President & Managing Director for Africa region.
Mr. Al Dehail has worked on several key projects in the UAE and internationally at DP World including the Megamax Terminal 2 Project, Terminal 3. He was actively involved with the master-plan to develop Jebel Ali and led the cost-effectiveness initiative at DP World UAE region. He was recognised as a valued contributor in the successful integration of DPA, DPI & CSXWT as well as the P&O company merger in 2007.
Mr. Al Dehail holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geo Economics from UAE University, and holds Diplomas in Shipping & Ports Management from Singapore Port Authority and University of Delaware, USA; and a Diploma in International Programme in Port Planning & Management from the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2004, he also completed a Senior Executive Programme at Harvard Business School, Boston.
Mr. Jamal Al Marri became a board member of Emaar Properties PJSC, in 2013.
He is the Executive Director of Central Accounts at the Department of Finance of the Government of Dubai and Member of the Professional Communication Corporation “Nedaa”. He also serves as Board Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Imdaad, a subsidiary of Dubai World.
Mr. Al Marri worked for 10 years in various positions at Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat) until he served as Financial Accountant and Chairman of the Tender Committee. In 2006, he joined the Department of Finance at H.H. The Ruler’s Court in Dubai where he held several positions until he was appointed to his current position of Executive Director of Central Accounts at the Department of Finance.
In 2010, he headed the Dubai Government’s Finance Team. He has also served as representative of the Government of Dubai to the Restructuring Committee of Amlak Finance.
Mr. Al Marri takes part in drafting and reviewing various local legislations referred to the Department of Finance.
A UAE national, Mr. Al Marri is member of Al Shabab Al Arabi Club. He is a graduate in Business Administration (Finance and Banking) from the College of Business and Economics (CBE) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
Mr. Jassim Mohammed Abdul Rahim Al Ali leads Al Ali Property Investments (API). He has gained experience in planning, construction and development of the family assets.
He is also the Chief Executive Officer of API Hotels and Resorts and is working with operators such as Accor and IHG.
In 2006, Jassim finished his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from American University of Sharjah (AUS). After graduation, Jassim joined his family business – API in 2006 as the Commercial Director. During his tenure, he worked on numerous projects and is currently accountable for over 50 property assets that are in the UAE.
Jassim is an out of the box thinker and innovator, keeps himself updated by investing his time in books, global current affairs and market economy.
He is a true visionary for tenants residing in his properties where he is aiming to deliver a change from the traditional way of living to a unique experience by introducing technology and new ways of making life as a tenant better.