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.