This is a past event. Registration is closed. View other Arab-British Chamber of Commerce events.
The Rt Hon Baroness Symons Of Vernham Dean
Chairman at ABCCThe Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean is a senior Labour member of the House of Lords and a business leader. Formerly Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Symons was a Minister in the UK Government from 1997 until stepping down in 2005. Among her government posts she was Minister for the Middle East, Minister for International Trade and Minister for Defence Procurement, and the Prime Minister’s envoy to the Gulf.
Previously a trade union general secretary, she was an Equal Opportunities Commissioner and a governor of the London Business School. As well as working closely with DLA Piper, Baroness Symons is now involved with a number of other commercial organisations, including roles as a non-executive director of British Airways, and as an advisor to other companies, including those with strong Middle East links, and with a number of not-for-profit organisations, including the International Red Cross.
Mr Bandar Reda
Secretary General & CEO of ABCCMr Bandar Ali Reda joined the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, on 1st March 2019, as Secretary General and CEO, becoming the fourth person to lead the Chamber since its foundation almost five decades ago.
As CEO, Mr Reda contributes his expertise by drawing on his wealth of experience as a diplomat and extensive time spent in the private sector to ensure the Chamber moves to the next level.
Mr Reda has a distinguished professional career of more than a decade in banking and corporate industry at SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia, prior to senior positions in the diplomatic service of his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he served as Commercial Attaché in the UK & Europe, based in London, and in Italy and as part of the Saudi delegation to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.
Mr Reda holds a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Orlando, USA. He has been an Executive Member of the Saudi-Italian Business Council, the Council of Saudi Chambers; a Member of the Business Youth Committee, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce; a Member of the Saudi Economy Association; and a Member of the Saudi Arabian legal accountants. Mr Reda has demonstrated his experience and abilities in his roles in both public and private sectors.
Since taking up his post, Mr Reda has successfully steered the Chamber throughout the difficult months of the pandemic and lockdown, a period which presented unprecedented challenges for international trade and the business community. Under Mr Bandar Reda’s guidance and leadership, the Chamber not only continued all its activities uninterrupted but extended its services during this period and has reinforced its reputation as the leading strategic business services organisation in the UK dedicated to strengthening Arab-British trade and building closer business co-operation.
His Excellency Mansoor Abulhoul
Ambassador at Embassy of the UAE in LondonAmbassador Mansoor Abulhoul is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) Ambassador to the UK, having been appointed to the post in June 2019.
Ambassador Abulhoul aims to enhance bilateral relations with the UK, particularly following its exit from the European Union. Since his appointment, the UAE has committed £10 billion to the UK economy via the UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership and launched a new, ambitious Partnership for the Future with the UK, symbolising the strengthening ties between the two nations.
Beyond the UK, the UAE signed the Abraham Accords with Israel during his tenure, hosted Expo 2020 Dubai and won the bid to host COP28, launched the Hope Probe to Mars and provided Covid-19 humanitarian assistance to over a third of the world’s countries.
Ambassador Abulhoul has developed a personal ‘cycle diplomacy’ programme, where he is cycling from John o’ Groats to Land’s End - using his passion for cycling to foster cultural understanding throughout the UK, and to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 2021, he completed a cycling tour across Scotland after attending COP26 in Glasgow to show the UAE’s commitment to tackling climate change and reaching its net zero targets.
Ambassador Abulhoul brings experience in business and international relations to his post, as well as a history of engagement across the UAE and UK. He attended schools in the UAE and Scotland, later studying at the University of Leeds.
After graduating, he spent time working in finance in both Dubai and London before managing his family’s UAE-based business.
Lord Udny-Lister
UK Co-Chair at UAE-UK Business CouncilLord Udny-Lister has been UK Co-Chair of the UAE-UK Business Council since 2020.
Prior to this he was Chief Strategic Advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Gulf Region.
Lord Udny-Lister has had a lengthy career in Local Government, including as Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning at City Hall, the seat of London’s Government, and Leader of Wandsworth Council. He served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London from 2011-16. He has a considerable background in facilitating large-scale urban regeneration schemes and coordinating major public and private sector partnerships. He also served as Chairman of London and Partners, as a Non-Executive Director at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and as Chairman of Homes England.
In 2021 Lord Udny-Lister was appointed Privy Councillor to HM The Queen. He is also currently a Senior Adviser to HSBC, a Director at Covent Garden Market and a Governor at the Museum of London.
H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi
CEO of Dubai FDIHis Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), one of the agencies of the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) of the Government of Dubai. In his current role he leads a team that develops, promotes, and supports foreign direct investment (FDI) success, growth, and expansion in the emirate of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond.
He serves as the Secretary General of Hamdan Centre for the Future of Investment (HCFI), where he leads a global program to promote “Impact FDI” as a key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is a member of Dubai Economy’s Executive Committee; UAE national committees on FDI, and chairs the “Dubai Investment Week” organizing committee. He also served as the President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), leading the global FDI body from 2019 to 2021.
Eng. Saed Mohamed Alawadi
CEO of Dubai Industries & ExportsEng. Saed Mohamed Alawadi, is now the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Industries & Exports, earlier being the Chief Operating Officer at EHS, the regulatory arm of Dubai World. Saed has over 20 years of experience in the Government and Private sector with in-depth local market and industrial expertise and knowledge that equip him with the necessary leadership skills to lead and guide organizations.
He holds a degree in Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, with a Masters in Environmental Engineering, supplemented by Executive MBA from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. His leadership skills have also resulted in several individual Excellence awards. His experience in establishing new companies/ government entities (DEDC, Export Credit Insurance Company… etc.) has been derived from his vast experience in the Manufacturing, Recycling, Commerce, Trade & Exports and Management.
Saed’s leadership / technical skills and management aptitude were evident during his earlier employment, where he quickly rose up in the ranks to manage more than 200 Engineering / Technical and Administrative personnel at Dubai World. His proficiency in managing large organizations, financial acumen (e.g. by converting EHS, a Cost Centre to a Profitable Company) and people management skills has justified the leadership position he is in today.
Saed also holds several positions as a member of the board of directors of many institutions, such as the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Export Credit Insurance Company of United Arab Emirates (ECI), and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Emaar Industries and Investments (EII), and other investment and industry companies.
Ibrahim Ahli
Director Investment Promotion & Attraction of Dubai FDIAs a Director of Investment Promotion & Attraction at Dubai FDI, an agency, under the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai, Ibrahim Ahli assists foreign investors with their service requirements and supports companies looking to set up in Dubai or any of its free zones to serve local, regional and international markets.
Ibrahim has a solid background in destination marketing and customer relations, having worked in the travel & tourism industry for more than 12 years during which he has led various promotion campaigns for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. He started his career with the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in Dubai where he was Manager Overseas Promotions for 10 years. He has also led successful marketing and brand management initiatives over a period of six years as Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications in the Dubai Airport Free Zone and as Director of Marketing for the Dubai Flower Centre, a perishable goods transshipment hub.
Ibrahim steers the investor outreach and promotion efforts of Dubai FDI with his vast experience in attracting international business and supporting them to establish their operations in the United Arab Emirates in general and in Dubai specifically. His main focus in on identifying the best source markets for foreign direct investment (FDI) into Dubai and cementing the emirate’s position as the best investment destination in the Middle East. Ibrahim can be contacted directly at ibrahim.ahli@fdidubai.gov.ae
For further information on Dubai FDI please visit http://www.dubaifdi.gov.ae/en
Walid Abdulla Marhoon
Senior Manager of Investment Promotion & Attraction at Dubai FDIAs a Senior Manager of Investment Promotion & Attraction at Dubai FDI, an agency in the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai, Walid Marhoon assists investors with their service requirements and supports companies looking to set up in Dubai or any of its free zones to serve local, regional and international markets.
Walid has a solid background in destination marketing and customer relations, having worked in the travel & tourism industry for more than 8 years in attracting international conferences and meetings to Dubai. He started his career with the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in Dubai where he was Manager Convention Bureau for 8 years. He has also led successful bidding presentationes to host international conferences to Dubai.
Walid steers the investor outreach and promotion efforts of Dubai FDI with his vast experience in attracting international business and supporting them to establish their operations in the United Arab Emirates in general and in Dubai specifically. His main focus in on identifying the best source markets for foreign direct investment (FDI) into Dubai and cementing the emirate’s position as the best investment destination in the Middle East. Walid can be contacted directly at walid.marhoon@fdidubai.gov.ae
For further information on Dubai FDI please visit http://www.dubaifdi.gov.ae/en
Salama Al Ketbi
Senior Officer - Marketing & Corporate Communication Department at Dubai Arts & Culture Authority (Dubai Culture)With a depth knowledge about Dubai Creative Economy, Salama has worked intensively with government and private sectors in Dubai to help creative entrepreneurs and experts build and grow profitable businesses within Cultural and Creative industries. She worked on establishing the Dubai Framework for Cultural Statistics, which is based on international standards such as UNESCO framework and EUROSTAT framework. Also, she worked closely with Dubai Statistics Center to produce data of the Creative and Cultural Economy in Dubai. She has a capability in data management by turning data into information that supports in decision making. She holds a Master Degree in Business Administration and she is currently working in the marketing and communication department at Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
DeVere Forster
Chief Operating Officer at Dubai CommerCity (DCC)deVere is leading a new $1bn Dubai Government led JV; Dubai CommerCity, the regions first and leading freezone dedicated to ecommerce, developing an e-commerce ecosystem which he likes to call ‘ecom-in-a-box’ where you’ll find all ecommerce solutions and services under one roof.
He’s a seasoned professional with over 25 years in multi-channel retail with a career history of eCommerce, Omnichannel and High Street retailing and has an outstanding track record of building eCommerce businesses from scratch and delivering tangible LFL sales, margin and profit growth
Before joining Dubai CommerCity, deVere worked for Central Group, Thailand’s largest Retail conglomerate managing their eCommerce and Omnichannel business across all their retail brands in Southeast Asia and Europe
Prior to moving to Thailand, he worked for Al Futtaim and Alshaya, two of the region’s largest retail franchise operators in the Middle East where he successfully launched online stores for IKEA, Ace Hardware, M&S, Mothercare, The Body Shop and La Senza
Much of deVere’s early experience in retail and eCommerce was in the UK, leading the digital transformation for Comet, Powerhouse and Dixons Carphone. He also was part of the Senior Management team that brought Best Buy to the UK as part of a joint venture with Carphone Warehouse in 2009.
Jaffar Bin Jaffar
Director – Property and Sales of Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA)Jaffar Bin Jaffar, Director – Property and Sales Operations at Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), is responsible for leading the Dubai Healthcare City’s rapid growth and development and oversees it’s ongoing, phased expansion.
With over a decade of experience in some of Dubai’s key sectors, including healthcare and real estate, Jaffar is known and trusted for his judgement on precise and up-to-date feedback on the state of the market, trends, comparable sales and property values, giving the Authority, and its many stakeholders, a realistic outlook on today’s market.
With his extensive managerial background, Jaffar has a wide-ranging experience in operational turnarounds and upscaling as well as outstanding relationship building skills.
As the Director of Property and Sales Operation, Jaffar’s management portfolio includes a number of notable blue-chip companies, while his commercial tenants include medical practices, Fortune 500 businesses, multinational medical practices, health and wellness centres, hospitals, and long lease land arrangements.
Jaffar has Masters in International Business Law from Sorbonne Assas University and Bachelors in Business Administration from University of Dubai.
Ali Hassan
Senior Representative for Europe and North America at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)Ali Hassan is a Senior Representative for the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority in Europe and North America and Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Centre.
In his current role, Mr. Hassan supports the CEO in developing and promoting the Innovation, Insurance, Banks & Capital Markets, and Wealth Management sectors, in line with the Centre’s future of finance strategy and plays an active role in managing client development. He is also responsible for promoting and spreading awareness of DIFC’s competitiveness and positioning regionally and globally.
Mr. Hassan brings vast regulatory knowledge and commercial experience to his position at DIFC Authority, having supervised and authorised a diverse range of businesses including exchanges, trading platforms, wealth management, investment banking, and brokerage operations with experience in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
James Bernard
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE at Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)James is a business leader with a successful track record, an extensive network of global connections, and a
strong determination to succeed in competitive markets.
After University in London he spent the next 10 years as a professional commodities trader working for several
international companies, providing him with extensive experience in physical and financial derivatives markets.
In 2006 after a decade of commodities trading in Europe, he joined (DMCC) Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
as associate director of commodities, heading up various initiatives for them in Dubai.
In 2009 he was appointed director of business development, leading the next stage of growth for the DMCC
Free Zone; and in 2020 he was appointed as DMCC’s regional representative of Europe. As an experienced
special economic zone professional he continues to work and advise on the development and growth of the
business ecosystem across multiple geographies and sectors.
Involved with crypto early on and blockchain since 2013, he was one of the founding members of the Dubai
Global Blockchain Council and the DMCC Blockchain Innovation Group, as well as heading up the company’s
blockchain and crypto initiatives since 2014. Developing early proof of concepts across various sectors
including the track and trace of diamond provenance, launching crypto asset licenses, contributing to the
regional regulatory strategy, and initiating the DMCC Crypto Centre.
Today he continues to help drive the development of the DMCC Crypto ecosystem ‘Crypto Centre’ and to assist
in the continuous growth of Dubai as a global Blockchain and crypto hub, working closely with various private
and government stakeholders and contributing to the implementation and continuous development of Crypto
Asset regulations. He is a also a regular contributor to various business and industry publications and advisor
to a number of different startups and scaleups across multiple sectors.
Omar Abdul Aziz
Senior Manager - Business Account International at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)• Joined DSOA since 2007, currently working as Senior Manager - Business Account International
• Graduated 2007, BBA (American University in Dubai )
Abdulrahman Al Ali
Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA)Abdulrahman Al Ali joined JAFZA in 2021 as a Proactive Sales Manager. Al Ali’s role involves targeting domestic and international clients and promoting JAFZA as trading, logistics and manufacturing hub. Al Ali began his Career at Emirates Airline as Sales Support Manager, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Tourism and Marketing from the university of Middlesex.
Ayman Al Awadhi
Group Managing Director of The Corporate GroupAyman is the Group Managing Director of The Corporate Group. He is in charge of subsidiaries
responsible for delivering one-stop-shop of professional services related to business setup
solutions and enabling both FDIs and foreign companies to do business in UAE and the GCC. He
has attracted businesses across all sizes and industries such as but not limited to education,
healthcare, technology, energy, and professional services. Some of these businesses are listed in
global stock market while others are start-ups offering disruptive technologies/ideas.
Furthermore, his experience includes advising companies for corporate structuring and merge &
acquisition transactions along, developing operational framework that delivers unique customer
engagement with clients and stakeholders, along with association with both private and
government sectors. Ayman devotes his time as mentor and coach for startups and SMEs in the
UAE.