Emaar Development Management

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 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.

Adnan Kazim is currently the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer reporting to the President of Emirates Airline.

He leads Emirates’ Commercial Operations across the airline’s vast network of nearly 160 destinations in 86 countries including major departments in Dubai such as e-Commerce, Retail & Contact Centres, the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme and Emirates SkyCargo.

He also heads the airline’s Strategic Planning and Revenue Optimisation teams, which are critical functions and his teams play an integral role that support the airline’s commercial success.

Adnan joined Emirates in 1992.  His career graph rose quickly, and he went on to successfully lead the airline’s commercial regions being appointed in senior management roles that included Senior Vice President Gulf, M.E. & Iran and Senior Vice President Africa.

His vast experience helped him transition into a leadership role to shape the airline’s strategy of growth in the areas of fleet planning, market expansion and governmental relations. He most recently held the role of Divisional Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation & Aeropolitical Affairs.

Adnan graduated from the UAE University in Al Ain.

Adnan is on the Board of Emirates Airline Foundation, a non-profit charity organisation which aims to improve the quality of life for children and the dignity of children caught in extreme poverty worldwide.

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

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

In the year 1999, one of the first initiatives of Mr Bin Thaniah along with 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 has been appointed as a Managing Director to master plan the development of Jebel Ali as one of the biggest terminal in the world increasing its capacity from 20 million TEUs at that time to 50 million TEUs.

In 2004, Bin Thaniah played a major role in the acquisition of 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 as in the year 2006, DPI conclude 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 has been appointed a Vice Chairman and GCEO of Ports & Freezone world, which include 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. Bin Thaniah sits as an independent member on the board of Directors of Emaar Dubai, and having 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 international ports and maritime conferences and is amongst the few winners of 3 international prestigious awards:

In 2006 he won Lloyds list personality of the year,

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

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

He is known and well respected by the major international ports operators and the shipping lines and has the knowledge of developing large scale port operation 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 seen him become 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 the Kingdom of 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 Saudibased 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 masterplannned 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. 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.

Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Buti Bin Bishr is the vice chairman of Emaar Development board since Dec 2020. BinBishr is a global digital magnate and the former founding Director Genral of Smart Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. With the distinction of being the first woman to lead the transformation of a smart city globally, she has laid a robust foundation for upcoming talent and inspires youth towards building a better tomorrow through digitalisation.
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Bin Bishr is considered an Emirati global ambassador for digitalisation being a renowned thoughtleader advocating the humanisation of technology to create better urban smart future. She is among the world’s most powerful women leaders in business and technology, with Forbes ME ranking her among the Middle East’s Top 10 most powerful businesswomen.

She was the Director General of the Smart Dubai Department, UAE between 2015-2020 , the government entity entrusted with Dubai’s city-wide smart digital transformation by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Dr. Aisha also led the creation of ‘The Smart City Index’ – the first-ever benchmark for smart city implementation across the globe in cooperation with ITU and the United Nations. As an acclaimed digital transformation and Smart Cities thought leader globally, she represented Smart Dubai in City Protocol Society, Smart City Expo World Congress and GSMA.

In addition to her responsibilities at Smart Dubai, Her Excellency was a member of the Dubai Council under the Government Development Track until July 2020. Her Excellency also was the Chairperson of the Dubai Future Council for Blockchain, which was launched as part of the Dubai Future Councils initiative by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, to assess and develop the future of key industry sectors in Dubai over the next 50 years. Dr. Aisha also heads The Council of Happy Cities (part of the World Happiness Council), is the Chairperson of the SDG 11 Global Council, and is the only woman from the Middle East to be a member of the Gartner Global CIO Research Board.

Additionally, Her Excellency serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Councils and The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s Smart Cities Readiness Index Team – an initiative also led by WEF. Her Excellency is also a Board Member at the Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE and a member of Emaar’s Board Committee until Dec 2020.

Dr. Aisha was also a member of the board at the UAE AI Council, the Computer System Advisory Board, the Leadership Team for Smart Services and Digital Infrastructure, and she is a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah, the University of Wollongong, and the World Happiness Council.

Dr. Aisha co-led the creation of the U4SSC’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC) – the first-ever benchmark for smart city implementation across the globe, drafted in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations. As an acclaimed digital transformation and smart cities thought leader globally.
Prior to her current role, Dr. Aisha served as Assistant Director General of Dubai Executive Office and Assistant Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Labour during her illustrious career. Throughout her 27-year experience in ICT development, Dr. Aisha committed herself to humanising digital transformation, from developing technologies to transforming human experiences.

Awards

The incredible work of Dr. Aisha is recognised globally. She has received numerous accolades which include, the ‘Digital Transformation Award’ at the Achieving Women Awards 2019, ‘Excellence in Strategic Leadership Award 2017’ by Entrepreneur Middle East’s Enterprise Agility Awards; Leadership in Digital Transformation by .GOV, ‘Outstanding Alumni Award 2017’ from The University of Manchester ME Centre; ‘Woman In Government’ Award at the Arab Women Awards 2016, ‘Woman in Public Sector Award’ from Global Women in Leadership Economic Forum 2015; ‘Community Service Medal 2013’ by Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior ; and the ‘Middle East Woman Leader in Corporate Management Excellence 2012’ by Middle East Women Leaders Excellence Awards.

In addition, she has been honoured by the Swedish Embassy, Trade Council, and Ericsson, in recognition of her role in implementing the Smart City Vision of Dubai’s leadership. In February 2020, Dr. Aisha was recognised as one of the Middle East’s Top 10 most powerful businesswomen by Forbes Middle East.

Education
• Orchestrating Winning Performance – OWP2014 Course
IMD Business School 2014

• Mohamed Bin Rashid Young Leadership Program
Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development 2007-2009

• Public Finance Management, Strategy & Leadership of Public Finance
Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government MBRSG 2007-2009

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Management on Science, Technology and Innovation
University of Manchester – Manchester Business School 2004-2006

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Policy and Research on Engineering, Science and Technology University of Manchester – Manchester Business School 2004-2005

• Bachelor of Science (BS), Applied Science (Business Information Technology)
Higher Colleges of Technology 2001-2003

Career Key Milstones Timline:

• Director General Oct 2013 – June 2020
Smart Dubai

• Assistant Director General
The Executive Office, Dubai Government Jan 2012 – 2014

• Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services
Ministry of Labor, UAE Mar 2010 – 2013

• Director of Corporate Excellence
The Executive Council, Government of Dubai Feb 2009 – Jan 2010

• Head of IT
The Executive Council, Government of Dubai Jan 2008 – Feb 2009

• Acting Director IT
Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing April 2001 – May 2007

• Web Content Developer
Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing 2001-2007

• TCO Supervisor
Etisalat 1994 – 2001

Detailed achievments and milstones captured in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-aisha-bin-bishr-b5639b8

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar is the CEO of Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC). In this capacity, he oversees the Centre’s work and collaborates closely with DIEDC’s multiple stakeholders to implement the ‘Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy’ strategy through enabling private and public sector organisations to innovate and promote sharia-compliant economic products and services ranging from Islamic finance to halal food and lifestyle, among others.

Prior to his current role, Al Awar was the CEO of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) from 2009 to 2012. During his eight-year tenure with DIFC that saw him hold various executive positions, he leveraged his exceptional skills in strategic planning, operational management and financial control to help develop DIFC into a global financial hub.

Under his strategic leadership, DIFC was ranked as the leading financial centre in the region for the years 2009-2012, demonstrating an average 13% client growth year-on-year, as well as improved efficiency and performance.

Al Awar has served as member of several committees and boards in Dubai including the Economic Committee of the Executive Council of Dubai, Dubai Free Zones Council, Bourse Dubai and the Investment Committee of the Emirates NBD Real Estate Fund.

He is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of Emaar Development PJSC and a member of Oversight Committee at the Emirates NBD Real Estate Investment Trust (ENBD REIT) since 2017. In 2016, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates International Center for Accreditation (EIAC).

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder, US. He is also a graduate of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development, an executive education program conducted in affiliation with Cranfield University, UK, IMD and INSEAD.

Mr. Khalid Salem Al-Halyan has more than 37 years senior

level experience in several industries and is currently the group Chief Audit Executive at

Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC). He started his career at the UAE Central Bank

and moved to the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai before joining the

aviation industry in 1996; initially to establish the new Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA) and

head up the Finance Department, before moving on to establish the Group Internal Audit

& Risk Assessment (GIARA) function at DACC. He has been involved in establishing DED,

Emaar Properties, the UAE Internal Audit Association, the UAE Golf Association and worked

on restructuring projects for DUBAL, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Civil Aviation, UAE

Central Bank Banking Supervision, and realized the construction of a new facility for the

Al Noor Special Needs Centre in Dubai. Mr. Al-Halyan currently serves as Vice President of

the UAE Internal Audit Association (affiliated to the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), USA),

Chairman of Al Noor Special Needs Centre in Dubai and Mr. Al-Halyan is also the Advisor

to Amlak Real Estate and Chairman of Emaar South, Dubai. He holds an MBA degree from

Bradford University in the UK and BBA from UAE University, Al Ain.