Our Leadership Team

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum is the Chairman of Dubai Holding and has been at the forefront of Dubai’s remarkable economic growth and development journey for over 37 years.

With a corporate leadership trajectory dating back to 1985, Sheikh Ahmed has achieved extraordinary success. He is currently the President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), the Chairman of Emirates NBD, the Chairman of Dubai Airports and the Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, which includes Dnata.

Sheikh Ahmed also holds several influential government positions, including serving as Second Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, which is responsible for formulating policies and strategies for Dubai, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Committee and Board Member of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD).

Sheikh Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Denver in the United States. He has received many international honours, including the fellowship of the British Royal Aeronautical Society, Commandeur de l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur (the Legion of Honour) – the highest French civilian award, the Verfassungsportugaleser, one of Germany’s highest honours, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from City University London, Cass Business School.

Amit Kaushal was appointed as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding in February 2018. Since then, he has been leading the Group’s investments in over 30 countries across a broad range of sectors, including real estate, hospitality, media, retail, leisure and entertainment.

During his tenure, Amit has led several transformational initiatives that have helped spur sustainable economic growth through diversification and investments in strategic partnerships, both in the UAE and internationally. These included the successful listings of TECOM Group PJSC (TECOM), the Group’s operator of business districts; and Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling service provider, on the Dubai Financial Market in 2022.

Other key initiatives that Amit oversaw included the integration into Dubai Holding of Meraas, a world-class real estate master developer, and the creation of significant strategic partnerships with leading UAE and global corporations – the more recent ones including joint ventures with leading global alternative asset manager Brookfield Asset Management and leading UAE real estate developer and manager Aldar Properties PJSC, as well as transactions with Emaar Properties PJSC and Emirates NBD, which resulted in Dubai Holding becoming the second largest shareholder in these two listed entities. 

Amit has also been instrumental in strengthening Dubai Holding’s position as a global leader in the luxury hospitality market through strategic acquisitions of flagship properties such as The Westin-Paris Vendome (France), Le Richemond (Switzerland) and Capri Palace (Italy).

Under Amit’s leadership, Dubai Holding’s sustainability agenda has taken a central role, with the establishment of an ESG strategy and a major investment by Dubai Holding in the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant, among others.

In addition to his executive leadership of the Group, Amit serves on the boards and committees of several regional and international organisations. His current board involvements include non-executive directorships on TECOM and Empower. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Warwick Business School, a leading Russell Group university in the UK. Amit is also a member of TECOM’s and Empower’s respective Audit and Risk Committees and of Empower’s Nomination and Remuneration Committees. He also chairs the Executive Committee and sits on the Investment Committee of Shamal Holding LLC, a diversified investment company.

Amit has a strong experience in financial services, having spent more than a decade in the earlier years of his career with leading investment banks in London and Dubai, where he worked for Goldman Sachs, UBS and Deutsche Bank across transaction advisory, structuring and capital markets disciplines.

Amit is a British national and holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Finance from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BSc (First Class Hons.) in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics from the University of Warwick (UK).

Khalid Al Malik is the Managing Director of Dubai Holding, where he leads the real estate portfolio, including urban planning and infrastructure strategy and development. He is also responsible for the Group’s international real estate investments in places such as Malta and Kochi as well as managing its strategic relations with local and international investors, and its government affairs.

Khalid lends his expertise to key real estate projects within Dubai Holding’s subsidiaries and also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate.

In the past, Khalid held several key positions within the Dubai government and private sector, including Director of Operations at the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Industrial City and Chief Executive Officer of Tatweer.

He is currently on the boards of several organisations, including SmartCity Malta, SmartCity Kochi, Warsan Waste Management Company, Tunisie Telecom and the Dubai Hills Estate group. He is also a council member of the British University in Dubai.

Khalid holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, USA, with a double major in Management Information Systems and Production and Operations Management. He also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Zayed University, UAE, and is a graduate of the Government Leaders’ Programme, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development.

Aldrin Sequeira is the Chief Internal Audit Officer at Dubai Holding, where he oversees the Group’s internal audit and risk management functions and provides independent and objective assurance on its financial and operational activities. 

Aldrin is an industry leader with more than 30 years of experience in conducting assurance, advisory and forensics reviews on strategic, financial, operational and technology matters, and contributing to Boards and Sub-Committees.

Prior to joining Dubai Holding, Aldrin worked with Jumeirah Group as Chief Internal Audit Officer, and at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the UAE.

Aldrin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Central Queensland. He is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants – UK (FCMA). Additionally, he is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and has a Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership (QIAL) from IIA Global.

Boris Rusafov is the Chief Technology Officer at Dubai Holding. In his role, Boris leads the Group’s technology-enabled business transformation across a diverse range of industries including hospitality, real estate, asset management, retail, media, leisure, and entertainment. Boris is champions a data-driven and AI-powered enterprise to drive revenue growth, maximise employee productivity, enhance efficiencies, and help transform Dubai Holding’s national champion businesses into global benchmarks in their respective industries through technological innovation.

He brings a wealth of global experience from the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, and has a 30-year track record of delivering major technology change and operational excellence across diverse sectors with expertise in business and technology strategy, enterprise digital transformation and Board advisory.

Before coming to the region, Boris served as Group Chief Information Officer at Deutsche Bahn International, based in Frankfurt and London, and Chief Information Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance, based in London. Previously Boris led the technology transformation for Deutsche Post DHL in the Asia-Pacific region as Chief Information Officer, spending five years in Singapore in that role. Boris’ MENA experience prior to Dubai Holding includes Group Chief Information Officer positions at Yas Holding in Abu Dhabi, and at Majid Al Futtaim Properties in Dubai. He spent the first 10 years of his career in the United States, delivering large-scale technology change for organisations such as Microsoft, AT&T and Hoffmann-La Roche. 

A US national, Boris holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, both in the United States, and later studied for an MSc at the University of Oxford’s Saïid Business School in the UK.

Edward Sunna holds the position of Chief Legal Officer. He has more than 25 years of experience in legal practice and strategy in the areas of project development, corporate, commercial, capital markets, banking and finance, cross- border transactions and arbitration.

Prior to moving in‐house, Edward led a major practice area at the largest regional law firm and acted for various government institutions and publicly listed corporations, and was internationally rated during his time in private practice.

Edward founded the legal function of Meraas Group, where he was the Chief Legal Officer from 2008 to 2017. He was also the General Legal Advisor at the Engineering Office from 2008 to 2017.

He is a Chartered Arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is on the panel of some of the leading arbitration centres in the world, including the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.

Edward is a former part‐time member of staff at Heriot‐Watt University, Dubai Campus, and was an advisor with the Dubai Real Estate Institute and the author of numerous publications. He also lectured for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Edward holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Honours and in Industrial Relations from the University of New South Wales in Australia. He also has a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, and is admitted as a barrister of the High Court of Australia, a solicitor in NSW and an admitted legal practitioner of the DIFC Courts in Dubai.

Fatma Hussain is the Chief People Officer at Dubai Holding, leading the Group’s efforts to foster a people-driven culture that empowers its employees. At the helm of her responsibilities, Fatma strives to future-proof the business by focusing on talent, leadership development, and cultivating an engaged culture throughout all levels of the organisation, while ensuring policies and processes put employees first.

With over 20 years of experience, Fatma is a seasoned expert in her field, with a proven track record of delivering meaningful impact across leading private and semi-government companies in multiple industries.

Prior to her current role, Fatma served as Chief Human Capital Officer at Dubai Holding Asset Management. Before joining Dubai Holding, Fatma worked at JAFZA and Gerab National Enterprise, where she headed the Recruitment, Talent Development and Redeployment Department as well as the Human Resources and Administration Department, respectively.

She is an active board member of TECOM Group and also serves as a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of EII Capital PSC, as well as the Central Grievance Committee of the employees of the Government of Dubai. She previously served as the chairperson of the Board of Directors at Takaful Emarat Insurance PSC and as a board member of Dubai Creek Harbour, Amlak Finance, Aramex, and Memaar Building Systems.

Fatma is a graduate of the Leadership Programme from Wharton Business School in the United States. She also holds a Directorship Certification from the Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance in the UAE, in addition to a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Dubai.

Huda Buhumaid is the Chief Impact Officer, responsible for driving impact through sustainable business practices throughout the Group, including environmental and social, as well as overseeing Dubai Holding’s branding, marketing, and corporate communications functions.

Since joining Dubai Holding in 2006, Huda has successfully launched several strategic and award-winning projects across Dubai Holding and its companies that operate within different key sectors, including real estate, hospitality, retail and entertainment.

Previously, Huda worked with Citibank UAE as Assistant Vice President – Marketing and Business Development. At Citibank, Huda launched several first-of-their-kind initiatives, including widely acclaimed ones such as online and mobile banking services.

Huda is a board member at a number of organisations, including the Higher Colleges of Technology, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University – School of Business and Quality Management, Endowments and Minors’ Trust Foundation, Dubai Women’s Establishment, Certares Holdings, Malta Properties Company, Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training (CERT), and Dubai Waste Management Company. She is the Vice Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Council and a member of Dubai International Communications Committee, which operates under the umbrella of the Government of Dubai Media Office. Previously, she was Vice Chair of consumer finance company Dubai First as well as the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA), and a board member at Khaleej Times and Hala China.

Huda is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Programme, INSEAD UAE, and holds a Master’s in Organisational Excellence with Honours from Bradford University, UK, and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai.

Nasser Al Awadhi serves as Chief Business Transformation Officer and is responsible for leading transformational projects and programmes across Dubai Holding and its verticals as well as overseeing the Dubai Holding Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is mandated to bring together specialised functions led by subject matter experts to help drive change across the business.

Nasser has been with the Group for more than 13 years and is a member of Dubai Holding’s Executive Management Committee (EMC). In his previous role as Chief Human Capital Officer, he was instrumental in the development of the function, aligning all human capital initiatives and functions with the strategic objectives of the company.

He brings great expertise with his 25 years of experience and several board memberships. Nasser is currently Chairman of the Board for Rove Hotels, whilst also being on the board of Dubai Group and Dubai Waste Management Company.

In his earlier career, Nasser served in key roles at TECOM Investments, Tamweel LLC, EPPCO and Dubai Municipality. Prior to joining Dubai Holding, he was the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Education.

Nasser holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina, USA, and is a graduate of INSEAD’s International Directors Programme.

Omar Karim is the Group Chief Investment Officer and is responsible for driving the overall investment strategy for the Group as well as overseeing the execution and management of its strategic and financial investments. In addition to this role, Omar is also responsible for the Group’s Strategy and Value Creation mandate, a role which involves leading the Group’s strategy planning and development as well as the execution of Group-wide value creation initiatives and strategic projects.

Omar also leads Dubai Holding Investments, the Group’s investment arm that is dedicated to executing a range of strategic and financial investments through direct and indirect strategies, across asset classes and with a global mandate.

Since joining the Group in 2017, Omar has successfully concluded several major transactions, including the initial public offerings of TECOM Group and Empower, the merger and integration of Meraas into the Group, the formation of a joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management in relation to certain key retail assets across Dubai, the sale of Dubai Holding’s stake in Dubai Creek Harbour to Emaar Properties, the formation of a joint venture with Aldar Properties and the 100% take-private of DXB Entertainments and its integration into the Group.

In addition to leading the Group’s investment strategy and managing its global investments portfolio, Omar actively serves as a member on the boards of several companies across multiple sectors. These currently include TECOM Group (commercial real estate), Azadea Group (consumer retail), Certares Holdings (travel and tourism), the Dubai Hills Estate group and Aurora Holding Company Limited (both being mixed- use real estate joint ventures, with Emaar and Aldar respectively) and Merex Investment Group (real estate private equity).

Prior to joining Dubai Holding, Omar worked as an investment banker at UBS Investment Bank, where he was responsible for the execution of a broad range of mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions with global clients. During his earlier career, he worked with KPMG in Australia as part of their corporate finance and valuations practice.

Omar holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Monash University, Australia.

Sharjil Anwar is the Chief Financial Officer of Dubai Holding. With nearly 30 years of financial management experience – including corporate finance, restructuring, funding, financial and management accounting, corporate governance and management consulting – Sharjil has a proven track record in overseeing the overall financial functions of the Group.

Sharjil has worked in the Middle East since 1994. Prior to joining Dubai Holding in 2018, he served as the Group Chief Financial Officer at Nakheel PJSC from 2011, where he led the Group’s overall financial management and played an active role in the successful implementation of a highly complex financial restructuring and the execution of a revised business plan that placed Nakheel on a new path to growth.

In addition, he has also held various senior positions in Saudi Arabia at Ernst & Young, Siemens Limited, Emaar, The Economic City, and Red Sea Gateway Container Terminal Limited.

Sharjil is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy from Arizona State University in the United States.