His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair

Vice Chairman

His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair is the CEO of Mashreq Group and the Chairman of Abdulla Al Ghurair Group, one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the UAE.

H.E. Abdul Aziz held various dignitary positions, which had its impact both regionally and internationally. He was elected as The Speaker of the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council (UAE Parliament) for tenure of four years, which ended in February 2011.

His Excellency’s current positions include; Vice Chairman of the higher board of Dubai International Financial Centre, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, Chairman of Emirates Banks Association and he is on the Board of Emirates Foundation. He is also the Chairman of Masafi and Oman Insurance and Co-Chairman of the Arab Business Council – World Economic Forum (WEF).

Previously, he sat on the Board of Directors of major companies such as Emaar, Dubai Investments, Visa International, MasterCard, and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was also a member of the Constitutive Council for GCC Leaders and President of The Knowledge Fund.

H.E. earned an honours degree as an industrial engineer received his education from California Polytechnic State University and graduated as an industrial engineer with Honours Degree.

His endeavours have earned him various local and international accolades most significantly, a five time recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards.

He played a pivotal role in providing substantial views to the UAE’s financial and banking industry.

His endeavours have earned him various local and international accolades most significantly, a five time recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards.

He played a pivotal role in providing substantial views to the UAE’s financial and banking industry.

His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Saleh

Board Member

H.E. Abdulla Mohammed Saleh was appointed Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in July 2011 by a Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President, and Ruler of Dubai. With over 40 years of experience in the financial services sector, H.E Saleh, a former advisor on financial matters to the Late Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum held numerous key positions in
several leading organizations.

Mr. Saleh was Chairman of the DFSA( Dubai Financial Service Authority) from June 2007 to August 2011, having served as a Director of the DFSA since 2004.

Mr. Saleh is a former Vice Chairman of Emirates NBD Bank PJSC, the largest banking entity in the Middle East. Emirates NBD Bank PJSC was formed by the merger of National Bank of Dubai (NBD) and Emirates Bank International (EBI). Mr Saleh was one of NBD’s founders in 1963, the Managing Director from 1982 until January 2004, and Chairman from 2005 until the merger with EBI.

Mr Saleh served as an Arbitrator on the Paris-based High Board of the Euro-Arab Arbitration Centre, from 1988 to 2000. He has been a Member of the Board of Qatar Fuel Additives Company since 1990 and has been Chairman of International Octane Limited since 1990. He is the Deputy Chairman and major shareholder of Dubai Transport Company LLC (DUTCO), the holding company of the DUTCO Group of Companies. He has been Chairman of MARSH INSCO (insurance brokers) since 1976. He is a Director of K S Energy Limited.

He was educated in Sharjah and London and also attended the Institute of Bankers after completing his academic studies.

Hussain Al Qemzi

Board Member

A seasoned banker with over 28 years of experience working with the leading financial institutions in the UAE, Mr. AlQemzi now helms Noor Investment Group, and its flagship entity Noor Islamic Bank as its Group CEO. A UAE National, Mr. AlQemzi is an insightful leader with proven experience of incubating, leading and managing strategic ventures and business transformation initiatives.

Prior to this Mr. AlQemzi was the Chief Executive of Sharjah Islamic Bank and a former Board member of Dubai Financial Market (DFM), and Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX).

Mr. AlQemzi also served as Chief Operating Officer of DIFC, and is credited with laying the ground for a World Class Financial Centre.

In addition to his roles defined above Mr. AlQemzi holds the offices of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation, the Vice Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC and is a member of the Board of Directors of DIFC Supreme Council,  DIFC Authority and Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies.

Essa Kazim

Board Member

Mr. Essa Kazim is the Chairman of Borse Dubai and Managing Director & CEO of the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).

Mr. Kazim began his career as a Senior Analyst in the Research and Statistics
Department of the UAE Central Bank in 1988 and then moved to the Dubai Department of Economic Development as Director of Planning and Development in 1993. He was then appointed as Director General of the DFM from 1999 to 2006.

Mr. Kazim holds an honorary Doctorate from Coe College, a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Iowa, a Masters Degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Wollongong and A Bachelor degree from Coe College.  

He is currently a Member of the Higher Board of Directors of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) and the Board of DIFC Authority, Member of Dubai Council for Economic Affairs, Board Director  of NASDAQ Dubai, Board Director of Noor Islamic Bank, Member of the Board of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Board Director of NASDAQ OMX and Member of the Board of Governors of Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University.

Abdulfattah Sharaf

Board Member

Abdulfattah Sharaf is the Chief Executive Officer, United Arab Emirates, a Board Member of HSBC Bank Middle East and the Chairman of MEFCO. Prior to his appointment as CEO UAE, he was the CEO Personal Financial Services, Middle East and North Africa, and responsible for all of HSBC’s Retail Banking business in the MENA region.

Before joining HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Abdulfattah was Chief Executive Officer of NBD Securities, a subsidiary of Emirates NBD, in terms of Assets the largest financial conglomerate in the Middle East. During his 13-year career with Emirates NBD, Abdulfattah held a number of executive and senior positions in business development and operations including being a board member of Al-Watani Al-Islami, Emirates NBD Securities and Network International.

Abdulfattah is currently a member of the Higher Board of the DIFC, a board member of Noor Dubai Foundation and a member of Young President Organisation (YPO). 

Abdulfattah graduated from the University of Denver, USA with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in political science and a minor in special education.

Abdullah Ghobash

Board Member

Prior to joining National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) in 1982, Mr Abdulla Ghobash worked for two years with the UAE Central Bank as Senior Officer in the Treasury Department and then joined the Banking Supervision Department.

At NBAD, he has been in charge of domestic operations within the UAE and part of the international relations of NBAD's network abroad. He has held positions as a member of NBAD's Asset Management Group, NBAD Leasing Committee and NBAD Investment Committee. Currently he is a Board member and Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Emirates Banks Association, Board member of the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies, Board member of Etisalat, and a member of the Higher Board of Directors at Dubai International Financial Centre. He is also a member of NBAD's Strategy Committee.

Mr Ghobash has a degree in Business Administration and holds a diploma in Banking.

David Eldon

Board Member

Commencing a career in banking with an Australian banking group in London in 1964, he joined HSBC Bank Middle East (formerly The British Bank of the Middle East), a principal member of the HSBC Group, in 1968. In January that year he took up his first position in Dubai, remaining in the Middle East undertaking a variety of roles in different countries until 1979, when he was transferred to the Group’s operations in Hong Kong.

Subsequent roles took him to Saudi Arabia, back to Hong Kong and then Malaysia. In 1990 he was appointed a General Manager of the Group. 

He returned to Hong Kong in April 1992 where, after a temporary assignment as General Manager Hong Kong and China, he took up the position of General Manager in The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation's International department.  Mr. Eldon was made an Executive Director of the Bank in January 1994, Chief Executive Officer in January 1996 and Chairman in January 1999.   In June 1996 Mr. Eldon became Chairman of Hang Seng Bank, a member of the HSBC Group, and was appointed a director of HSBC Holdings plc on 1 January 1999.  He retired from the Group in May 2005.

He is Senior Adviser, PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited.

He is Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of Singapore listed Noble Group Limited, and a Director of Hong Kong listed company SOCAM Development Limited. He is a Consultant to the Office of the President, South Korea and Board Member of the Dubai International Financial Centre Higher Board. He is Past Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, and Founding Member and past Chairman of the Seoul International Business Advisory Council. He is Adviser to the Kuwait China Investment Company, and Singapore-based Southern Capital Group. He holds a number of Government and community appointments in Hong Kong.

In 2011 he made a return to HSBC, becoming non-executive Chairman of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited.

Mr. Eldon is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB).  Mr. Eldon was conferred Honorary Doctor of Business Administration by the City University of Hong Kong in November 2003.  He was named the DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Person of the Year for 2003 and in 2004 was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) by the Government of the Hong Kong SAR.  In 2005 he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution to banking, and awarded Honorary Citizenship of Seoul in recognition of his work for the city.  He was awarded the Asian Banker Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005.  In 2011 Mr Eldon was conferred Honorary Doctor of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Mr. Eldon is a Justice of the Peace (JP).

Saeb Eigner

Board Member

Saeb Eigner was appointed DFSA Chairman in August 2011, he served as Deputy Chairman
of the Board since 2007 and a member of the Board since October 2004.

Formerly a Senior Manager at ANZ Grindlays Bank PLC, in London, Mr Eigner headed the
Middle East and Indian Sub-continent Division of the Private Bank, which he left to found

Lonworld in the early 1990s.

He is the Founder and Chairman of Lonworld, a private investment group.

Mr Eigner holds a Masters Degree in Management from London Business School.

He is a Governor of London Business School and Chairman of its Audit and Risk Committee.

He is the co-author of the management books “Sand to Silicon” (2003) and “Sand to Silicon-
Going Global” (2009) and author of “Art of the Middle East” (2010).

He holds and has held a number of senior Board appointments in the areas of banking, strategy, education, regulation, investment and culture.