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Bandar Reda
Secretary General & CEO of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr 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.
Abdeslam El-Idrissi
Deputy CEO & Secretary General of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr Abdeslam El-Idrissi is proud to have served the best part of over 36 years with the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, serving both as Director of Trade Services, Acting General Manager and now his present position as Deputy CEO and Secretary General. During this time, he has cultivated strong relationships with British Chambers, Government bodies, educational institutions, NGOs across both the Arab world and the UK regions, as well as the UK-Arab business communities as a whole.
To this end, Mr El-Idrissi is in much demand across the regions as a keynote speaker and as one of the UK’s leading experts on UK-Arab trade relations.
He is also a key member of the Institute of Export where in the past he has held the position of Vice Chair of the Institute of Export, London Branch for a period of 7 years.
Chapka Othman
CEO of Cambridge City CompanyChapka Othman, CEO of Cambridge City Company, is a successful business woman committed to raising the standards of both Education and welfare for all Youths in the Kurdistan region. She took the initiative to improve education in the area by developing her own company. At first it was a small project which consisted of a small nursery with just 20 students and 6 staff members. This small project is what we now know as Cambridge City Company. The project, led by Mrs. Othman was a first of its kind in Kurdistan as it was the first to bring Cambridge International Examinations to the region.
The company now comprises 5 Cambridge School branches with 4000 students and 300 staff members, the company also has amongst others, media production and book publishing departments and several office locations. Mrs. Othman takes a very active role in the running of all the schools and is currently a Principal of a campus that holds 1400 students aged 3-18.
Ayman Alawadhi
Group Managing Director of Corporate Business ServicesAyman 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 a mentor and coach for start-ups and SMEs in the UAE.
Rabih El FAdel
CEO & Co-Founder of Zef Concept & Phyla EarthRabih is a pioneering figure in sustainability, with over 25 years of experience. He anchors ZefLab's business direction and is the CEO & Co-Founder of Phyla Earth. Through his company, Zef Concepts, he's shaped sustainable solutions across the built environment. His expertise spans low-energy designs, low-carbon initiatives, and comprehensive environmental frameworks. Rabih's projects span Europe, the Middle East, USA, and Africa, marked by ethical considerations and adaptability. Notably, he's been instrumental since 2014 in conceiving the Great Green Wall of Africa, showcasing his enduring commitment to transformative ecological projects.
Andrew Elia
Managing Director of ArishiAndrew is a hard-wired technology expert who has helped hundreds of clients create seamless, trusted applications for the fintech, commercial and advertising sectors.
Understanding the power of agile development and secure, highly performant software, his company, Arishi delivers solutions that are practical, imaginative and robust, with the flexibility to adapt to changing regulatory conditions.
Combining enthusiasm, experience and humour, Andrew is an inspiring speaker on technology. He has written for magazines and spoken at conferences, on how startups should use technology, mobile payments and the sometimes awkward union between technology and business.
Andrew has delivered ground-breaking technology across a variety of areas within financial services and artificial intelligence that others couldn’t, wouldn’t (or just plain didn’t) develop, often years ahead of the competition.
Arishi has become highly regarded in industries across the globe, where split second improvements in performance, usability and visual appeal are becoming increasingly important – government, health, finance, fintech, advertising, and international business, to name a few. Arishi has delivered exceptionally performant digital projects for major clients in the Middle East and has now established an office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
When he’s not immersed in the virtual world, or pursuing his passion for retro computers, Andrew enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family, who all enjoy exploring the GCC region.
Professor Frank Larkin
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Private Eye HospitalFrank Larkin is a consultant eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Professor of Corneal Diseases in University College London. After graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1982 he trained in ophthalmology in Dublin, subsequently Moorfields and Australia before appointment as a consultant in Moorfields in 1997. He undertakes or supervises over 150 corneal transplant operations annually and over 100 cataract operations. He leads research on transplantation and infections of the eye.
He has published over 140 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, edited four books and has been editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Ophthalmology since 2021. He has trained senior eye surgeons from numerous countries in surgery and research, many of whom now hold senior positions on all continents. He travels extensively to teach and in his role as journal editor.