Board of Directors

H.E. Essa Kazim holds Honorary Doctorate from Coe College (USA), Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Iowa (USA), Master’s Degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Wollongong and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science from Coe College. He currently holds the following positions:

• Governor – Dubai International Financial Center
• Chairman – Borse Dubai
• Member – Higher Board of Directors of Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)
• Member – Securities and Exchanges Higher Committee
• Member – Supreme Fiscal Committee in Dubai
• Deputy Chairman – Supreme Legislation Committee in Dubai
• Chairman – DIFC Authority Board of Directors
• Chairman – DIFC Investments Board of Directors
• Board Member – Free Zones Council
• Board Member – NASDAQ Dubai
• Board Member – NASDAQ Inc.
• Board Member – Rochester Institute of Technology
• Member of the Board of Governors – Dubai National University

Mr. Hesham Al Qassim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance and Master’s Degree in International Business Management and in Executive Leadership Development. He currently holds the following positions:

• Vice Chairman – Dubai Real Estate Corporation
• Vice Chairman and Managing Director – Emirates National Bank of Dubai PJSC
• Chairman – Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC
• Chairman – Emirates NBD S.A.E (Egypt)
• Chairman – DenizBank A.S (Turkey)
• Board Member – Dubai International Financial Center Authority (DIFCA)
• Board Member – DIFC Investments
• Board Member – Maroc Telecom
• Chairman – Dubai Sports Corporation
• Chairman – Dubai Autism Center
• Member of Board of Trustees – Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives “1 Billion Meals Endowment”

H.E. Mansoor Almansoori holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Security Studies and National Resources Management from the National Defense College (UAE). He is a University of Toledo (Ohio, USA) graduate in Computer Science, and holds several specialised certificates including a Leadership Certificate from London Business School (UK), Innovation Strategy Leadership from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and International Institute for Management Development (Switzerland).

Current Positions:

• Member – Abu Dhabi Executive Council
• Chairman – Department of Health in Abu Dhabi
• Vice Chairman – AIQ
• Board Member – Multiply
• Member of Board of Trustees – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)
• Board Member – Advanced Technology Research Council
• Vice Chairman – Presight AI
• Chairman – Space42   

Previous Positions:

• Group Chief Operating Officer – Group 42 Holding
• Chairman – Injazat
• Chairman – Bayanat
• Director General – UAE National Media Council
• Board Member – Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
• Board Member – Emirates Palace Company

Mr. Michel Combes is a graduate of École Polytechnique, Télécom ParisTech and Paris Dauphine University.

Current Positions:

• Chairman & CEO – MC Advisory
• Partner – Forgelight
• Board Member – Philip Morris International
• Board Member – F5 Inc
• Board Member – Swile
• Board Member – Contentsquare
• Chairman – Brightspeed
• Board Member – Espace Inc

Previous Positions:

• Executive Vice President – Claure Group
• Board Member – Assystem
• President and CEO – SoftBank Group International
• Board Member – CTIA, a national trade association representing the wireless communications industry in the United States
• President and CEO – Sprint
• Board Member – Sprint
• CEO – Altice
• Chief Operating Officer – Altice
• Chairman and CEO – SFR Group
• CEO – Alcatel-Lucent
• CEO – Vodafone Europe
• Chairman and CEO – TDF Group
• Chief Financial Officer and Senior Executive Vice President – France Telecom

Ms. Mariam Ghobash has substantial corporate governance experience with both publicly listed and private companies. Ms. Ghobash currently serves as a board member on Mashreq Bank, Emirates Development Bank and Gulf Capital.

Previously, she was Vice-Chairperson of Aldar Properties and Invest AD. She also served on the boards of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution (ADNOC Distribution), National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Al Hilal Bank, National Takaful Co. (Watania) and Zayed University. She also worked as a Director in the Global Special Situations Department at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

Ms. Ghobash holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America. She has also successfully completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Saleh Alabdooli graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder (USA) with a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. He held the following positions:

• Group Chief Executive Officer – Etisalat Group
• Chief Executive Officer – Etisalat UAE
• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Etisalat Misr
• Deputy Chairman & Member of the Executive Committee – Etisalat Misr
• Board Member – Maroc Telecom
• Board Member – Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily)
• Chairman – Thuraya Telecommunications Company (Thuraya)
• Chairman – Etisalat Services Holding (ETS)
• Board Member – Khalifa University

Sheikh Ahmed Aldhahiri graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from UAE University – Al Ain in 1993. He currently holds the following positions:

• Vice Chairman – Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company (ADNH)
• Vice Chairman – Abu Dhabi National Hotels Catering (ADNHC)
• Board Member – First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
• Board Member – Al Dhafra Insurance Co.

Mr. Abdelmonem Alserkal graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University - San Diego, California, United States in 1993 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (emphasis on Economics). He currently holds the following positions:

• Founder – Alserkal Avenue
• Managing Director – Nasser Bin Abdullatif Alserkal Co LLC.
• Board of Patrons – Art Dubai
• Member – The British Museum’s Contemporary and Modern Middle Eastern Art Acquisition Group
• Member – Tate’s Middle East and North Africa Acquisition Committee
• Member – Guggenheim’s Middle Eastern Circle
• Member – Centre Pompidou International Circle Middle East
• Patron – Peggy Guggenheim Collection
• Member – Dubai Collection Steering Committee
• Honorary Chairman – Ishara Foundation

Mr. Khalid Alrustamani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. He currently holds the following positions:

• Chairman and CEO – AW Rostamani Group
• Board Member & Member of Executive Committee – Commercial Bank of Dubai
• Board Member – Dubai Insurance Company

Mr. Otaiba Alotaiba is an Emirati lawyer licensed to practice in all UAE court. In 2024, he has founded and managed Al Otaiba & Hamdan Boudebs Advocates & Legal Consultants, offering litigation, arbitration, and legal advisory services locally and internationally.

Mr. Alotaiba holds Bachelor's Degree in Law from Damascus University (2001). He previously served as Head of the Litigation Department at the Legal Division of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. He has been a Board Member of e& since 2015.

Mr. Hasan Alhosani has a vast experience in the legal field spanning more than 25 years, during which he has held a number of positions in the public and private sectors. He began his career in the oil and gas sector where he worked for nine years during which he served as a legal advisor to the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) known as one of the largest oil construction companies in the region and the Middle East.

Mr. Hasan then moved to the public sector of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi where he assumed the position of General Counsel for the Department of Municipal Affairs as well as the Head of Regulations and Legislations Department.

Mr. Hasan Alhosani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the United Arab Emirates University and is a lawyer registered in the Registry of Non-working Lawyers at the Ministry of Justice. He is also a commercial arbitrator accredited by Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC) and was Member of Arbitration/ADR Steering Committee of ICC UAE.

As Group Corporate Secretary (GCS) since 2012, he serves as an advisor to the Board in all legal and governance related matters. In doing so, the GCS ensures providing an independent legal opinion to the Board and adopting the applicable rules and regulations in the UAE as well as the best-in-class corporate governance practices that are related to the Board, its Committees and the Board Members such as the conflict of interest, related party transactions and non-competition. Also, he takes care of the periodical disclosures related to the afore-mentioned matters to ensure integrity, transparency and compliance with the applicable rules and regulations. The GCS further observes the legal requirements for General Assembly meetings such as their quorum, running their proceedings, casting the votes on their resolutions, following up the implementation of such resolutions as well as the rules of elections. Moreover, Mr. Hasan ensures applying the rules that govern the Board directorships and Board Members’ replacement in the event of a director’s resignation or vacating a seat. Besides, he serves as an interface between the Board and each of the Group’s Executive Management, SCA/ADX, shareholders, public authorities and other stakeholders.