Board Of Directors

A global entrepreneur with active interests in high-value property development, retail, luxury hospitality, mining and commodities, Mohamed Alabbar is the founder and chairman 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. 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. 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. Abdulrahman Juma Al Falasi, Chief Operating Officer at Nshama, has over a decade of international experience in operations, and is mandated with the strategic management of all operational aspects of the company.

He is responsible for planning, directing and managing overall performance, building relationships with key stakeholders, forecasting business requirements and growth potential, overseeing design, government relations, infrastructure development and contracts, and accountable for all matters relating to acquiring new land and sourcing innovative technology.

A UAE National, he has proven expertise in strategic planning and corporate development leading to profit improvement and improved operational efficiency. He has proved his skills as an organisational change agent committed to best practices, process improvement and introduction of advanced technologies to streamline operations.

Previously he was Director – Operations at RSH Middle East, the leading pan-Asian marketer, distributor and retailer of top international brand-names in sports, golf, active lifestyle and fashion products, with operations in 11 countries. He earlier served the same company as General Manager of Operations & Distribution Centre Manager at RSH Singapore and Malaysia.

Al Falasi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government, majoring in Political Science, from Eastern Washington University.

Mr. Khaled Mohamed Ali Badawi held office of the Egyptian Minister of Public Enterprise in January 2018. He has been selected for the Ministerial role because of his large experience in managing holding companies, securities, and dealing with stock exchanges around the world.

In February 2018, the BT100 Awards honored Mr. Badawi for his contribution to the growth of the Egyptian Economy.

Before holding the Ministerial Office, Mr. Badawi served as the CEO of Al Ahly Capital Holding which is the private equity arm of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) Egypt’s largest Banks. He also held other positions as the Managing Director of Citadel Capital S.A.E. (Qalaa Holding) which is the leading private equity firm in Egypt.

Mr. Badawi started his banking career at the Commercial International Bank (CIB) where he held the position of Assistant Manager of the Corporate Banking Group. He also worked for the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, the National Bank of Kuwait  and UBS in London.

Mr. Badawi acted as a Board member of leading Industrial Companies such as Amoc, Abu Keir Fertilizers, Ethydco, Egyptian Resorts Company, United Foundries, WAPHCO, Al Ahly Investment and Development Co. He currently holds the position of Chairman and CEO of Alsharkeya Sugar Manufacturing.

Mr. Badawi holds a Bachelor degree in Economics and Political Science from Cairo University in Egypt.

Mr. Ayad Al Harazeen is a member of Emaar Misr for Development S.A.E.

He is also a Board member of Amlak Finance PJSC (a Public Joint Stock Company listed in Dubai Financial Market).

Mr. Ayad is currently partner of MAFCO Management & Business Consultancy LLC, Abu Dhabi and Partner & Manging Director of Advanced Solutions Investments & Companies Representation LLC (ASIR), Abu Dhabi.  Under these organizations, Mr. Ayad has built several successful partnerships with multinational companies that have added value to the development of UAE economy.

Prior to his current positions, Mr. Ayad has served Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in various technical and lead management responsibilities.

Mr. Ayad is a postgraduate in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT-USA) and Graduate (BE-Honours) from Imperial College of Science & Technology, London.