DIFC Higher Board and Board of Directors

H.E. Essa Kazim

Governor of DIFC

His Excellency Essa Kazim is the Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Chairman of Borse Dubai, Deputy Chairman of Supreme Legislation Committee in Dubai, and Member of the Securities and Exchange Higher Committee and Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee.

His Excellency 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 Dubai Financial Market from 1999 to 2006, later being elected its Chairman from 2007 until 2021.

His Excellency Kazim holds an honorary Doctorate from Coe College, a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Iowa, a Master's Degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Wollongong and A Bachelor degree from Coe College.

His Excellency Kazim currently sits on a number of official advisory committees and boards; he is Member of the Higher Board of Directors of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Chairman of DIFC Authority Board of Directors, Chairman of DIFC Investments Board of Directors, Board Member of Nasdaq Dubai, Board Member of Free Zones Council, Board Member of Nasdaq, and Member of the Board of Etisalat.

His Excellency Essa Kazim also serves as a board member for a number of educational institutions, both in the region and around the world.

Abdulfattah Sharaf

Board Member

Abdulfattah Sharaf is a Group General Manager and the Chief Executive Officer, United Arab Emirates. He is also Head of International which covers Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria. Abdulfattah is a Board Member of HSBC Bank Oman S.A.O.G. (HBON), HSBC Private Banking Holdings (Suisse) SA (PBSU) and HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA (PBRS).

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. He was also a Board member of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HBME), HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited (IBSA), and Emirates Telecommunication Company (Etisalat).

Before joining HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Abdulfattah was Chief Executive Officer of NBD Securities, a subsidiary of Emirates NBD.

Abdulfattah is currently a member of the Higher Board of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Noor Dubai Foundation, the Mastercard MEA Advisory Board, a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah and a Board Member of the Emirates Golf Federation.

Abdulfattah is a graduate of the University of Denver, USA.

Chief Justice Zaki Azmi

Board Member

Justice Tun Zaki Bin Azmi joined the DIFC Courts in December 2013. He retired as the Chief Justice of Malaysia in September 2011, upon reaching the retirement age of judges of the superior courts in Malaysia. His greatest achievement as the 12th Chief Justice was to clear the outstanding backlog of cases affecting the Malaysian Courts and to reduce the hearing time for newly filed cases, an achievement which was recognised by the World Bank.

He held the post of Chief Justice of Malaysia for three years, having previously served as the President of the Court of Appeal. He was elevated directly as a Federal Judge on September 5, 2007. As of November 2018, Justice Tun Zaki Bin Azmi has been appointed Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.

Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim

Board Member

Mr. Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for wasl Asset Management Group and is responsible for leading the organisation’s transformation into a world-class asset management company. He is also Chairman of Deniz Bank A.Ş Turkey, which is currently owned by Emirates NBD, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD Bank PJSC and the Chairman of Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC, one of the leading Islamic banks in the region and Emirates NBD Egypt; both are subsidiaries of Emirates NBD PJSC. 

Mr. Al Qassim’s leadership role at wasl has seen him spearhead asset management, real estate, hospitality and project development. This portfolio of achievement, combined with a wealth of financial sector experience from over 20 years in the banking industry, makes him one of the most experienced CEOs in the region. 

Under Mr. Al Qassim’s stewardship, wasl has achieved remarkable success in the management and ownership of large-scale real estate projects undertaken for the government of Dubai. He was responsible for restructuring and developing a clear mechanism for the Group’s provision of high-quality services, which included operating three key subsidiaries: wasl properties, wasl hospitality and leisure and dubai golf. wasl properties is a leading real estate company that manages over 50,000 units across Dubai. wasl hospitality and leisure owns and manages several international 5-star hotel chains in Dubai, while dubai golf is home to two world-ranked golf courses across the emirate. This portfolio expansion was achieved in the face of the toughest global economic conditions. 

Mr. Al Qassim’s current Chairmanship roles at Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD Egypt reflect his prominent role in shaping the future direction of these prestigious institutions. Mr. Al Qassim’s senior level financial experience includes a period as General Manager at the National Bank of Dubai, during which he was an architect for new strategies in retail and corporate banking as well as treasury and trade finance. His innovations led the bank to become a leading financial institution in the United Arab Emirates. 

Mr. Al Qassim is an advocate for the importance of recognising and developing local talent. This commitment to nurturing home-grown skills and abilities led him to becoming one of the founders of the Young Arab Leaders organisation. 

Mr. Al Qassim is also the Chairman of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) and Dubai Sports Corporation and the Vice Chairman of Dubai Autism Centre. His other board memberships include Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), DIFC Investments LLC., The National Human Resources Development Committee of the Banking and Financial Sector, National General Insurance Co., Pak Telecom Mobile Ltd, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited as well as the International Humanitarian City. His professional and vocational qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance and a Master’s Degree in International Business Management and in Executive Leadership Development. 

Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali

Board Member

Fadel Al Ali was appointed Chairman of the DFSA on 1 June 2021. His last position with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) was as FAB’s Deputy CEO and Group Chief Operation Officer in 2021.

Prior to joining FAB, Mr Al Ali was the CEO of Dubai Holding, a global group with assets of USD 35 billion across 21 countries and interest in 14 economic sectors. Mr Al Ali led the financial restructuring of Dubai Holding’s investment groups and led the new business model of Dubai Holding as a strategic investor.

Mr Al Ali started his career at Citibank in 1989, and left Citi in his capacity as UAE Head of Distribution, before joining Dubai Holding in 2004.

Mr Al Ali is a board member with Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ). He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SHUAA Capital PSC, FAB (Suisse) Private Bank SA and MIRA BANK, SERBIA. He is the Vice Chairman of First Gulf Libyan Bank and is a board member of Al Nahdha Investments and IMKAN Waterfront, Morocco.

Mr Al Ali holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and System Engineering from University of Southern California and a degree in High Performance Boards, International Institute of Management Development, Lausanne. Mr Ali was appointed Deputy Chair of the Board in July 2020.

He is also a member of the Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee and Emirati Working Group.

Arshad Ghafur

Board Member

Arshad Ghafur is Bank of America’s President for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He is based in Dubai and has overall responsibility for the Bank of America’s strategy across the MENA region which includes capital markets sales, trading and research, corporate and investment banking and global treasury services.

Under Arshad’s leadership, Bank of America has been one of the most active international investment banks in the Middle East, evidenced by a portfolio of significant transactions: the IPOs of Saudi Aramco, ADNOC Distribution, and Emaar Malls; advising the PIF on the sale of its stake in Sabic to Aramco; and advising ADNOC on the monetisation’s of its oil & gas pipelines. Furthermore, Bank of America has consistently been ranked the number one Equities and Research platform in MENA. Arshad has also overseen strategic balance sheet deployment to key clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Arshad spent 15 years at Lehman Brothers/Nomura Holdings where he held dual roles as Head of Investment Banking for the Middle East & Africa as well as CEO Qatar.

Arshad is a strong proponent of literacy and education. He supports a number of initiatives in developing countries sponsored by NGOs and charitable foundations such as Education for Employment (EFE) where Bank of America was recently recognized as a Strategic Partner and Arab Excellence. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Injaz Al-Arab, a non-profit organization that promotes education and training in the Middle East and Africa under three pillars: workforce readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Arshad also serves as an advisor to various regional government officials and entities as part of working groups contributing towards national development.

Abdulla J M Kalban

Board Member

Mr. Kalban has served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company Emirates Global Aluminium since its formation in 2014. He joined Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) as a graduate trainee in 1985 and progressed up through the ranks before becoming Chief Executive Officer of DUBAL in 2005, then President and Chief Executive Officer in 2008.

In addition, Mr. Kalban serves as Chairman of the Gulf Aluminium Council, Vice Chairman of the Federal Electricity & Water Authority and as Board member of the International Aluminium Institute, Dubai International Financial Centre Investments, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. He is active on the Board of Supreme Council of Energy in the UAE.

Mr. Kalban holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim

Board Member

Mr. Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Wasl Asset Management Group and is responsible for leading the organisation's transformation into a world-class asset management company. He is also the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD Bank PJSC, the Chairman of Emirates Islamic, Emirates NBD Egypt, and Emirates NBD Capital KSA.

Mr. Al Qassim's leadership role at wasl has seen him spearhead asset management, real estate, hospitality and project development. Under his stewardship, wasl has achieved remarkable success in the management and ownership of large-scale real estate projects undertaken for the government of Dubai.

Mr. Al Qassim's current Chairmanship roles at Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic reflect his prominent role in shaping the future direction of these prestigious institutions. His senior level financial experience and innovations within the banking industry, led these banks to become leading financial institutions in the United Arab Emirates. /p>

Mr. Al Qassim is also the Chairman of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) and Dubai Sports Corporation and the Vice Chairman of Dubai Autism Centre. His other board memberships include Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), DIFC Investments LLC., Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, National General Insurance Co., Amlak Finance, Pak Telecom Mobile Ltd, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited as well as the International Humanitarian City. His professional and vocational qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance and a Master’s Degree in International Business Management and in Executive Leadership Development.

Salem Al Sharhan

Board Member

Mr. Salem Ali Al Sharhan worked in Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (ETISALAT) for 23 years until May 2011. During his time with Etisalat, Mr. Al Sharhan served as Group Chief Financial Officer for seven years, where he was responsible for all aspects of group financial strategy and served as a member of the corporate management team, evaluating both technology and potential acquisition targets.

As part of his role in Etisalat, Mr. Al Sharhan also represented the company on the boards of a number of international telecom companies. He served as a board member of Mobily in Saudi Arabia and as a member of Sudatel in Sudan for ten years. In addition, Mr. Al Sharhan was a board member of EMTS in Nigeria, a board member of Atlantique Telecom in West Africa and was Chairman of Zantel in Tanzania.

Mr. Al Sharhan also served as a trusted advisor to His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.

At present, Mr. Al Sharhan is a Chairman of RAK Insurance, Board member of the National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah ,Member of Board of Trustees of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah as well as Member of Board of Governors of RAK Medical & Health Science University.

Mr. Al Sharhan holds a BSc in Accounting and Business Administration from United Arab Emirates University, UAE.

Khalfan Belhoul

Board Member

Mr. Khalfan Belhoul serves on the Board of Directors for Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, following his appointment in October 2020. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), bringing more than a decade of experience as a driving force in transforming businesses and organisations that contribute to Dubai's strategy of economic diversification.

Mr. Belhoul currently holds various memberships across several entities in the UAE, which include Chairman of Dubai Future Council for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem, Future project Committee, Board Member of Emirates Schools Establishment, Emirates Development Bank (EDB), UAE Football Association (UAEFA), Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishments, as well as Member of Committee of vetting visa requests at Entrepreneurs and Special Talents, Policies and Legislations at Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, and Dubai International Communication Committee (DICC).

Prior to his role at DFF, Mr. Belhoul served as the Vice President of Strategy at Dubai Holding, and earlier in his career, Belhoul played a key role in setting up the Belhoul Investment Office, responsible for launching a sophisticated asset allocation strategy spanning private equity, alternative investments, real estate and conventional assets.

Mr. Khalfan Belhoul holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management Information Systems, and a Master’s degree in E-Commerce, both from Boston University.

Abdullah Salim Al Turifi Al Shamsi

Board Member

Mr. Abdullah Al Turifi serves on the Board of Directors for Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, following his appointment in October 2020. He is also on the Board of Directors for Emirates Investment Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai and the American University of Sharjah. Mr. Al Turifi also sits as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Prize for the best PhD thesis in the Arab world, Chairman of the Board of Directors Sharjah Social Security Fund, Independent Non-Executive Director of Depa Limited and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Depa Limited.

In 1992, Mr. Abdullah Al Turifi was appointed as Director of Investment Department - General Secretariat of GCC States Gulf Cooperation Council Riyadh - Saudi Arabia. Following this, he held positions of Founder and Director General of the Free Zone Industrial Zone, Assistant Undersecretary for International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economy and Trade and Head of the State Delegation of the Organization at World Trade WTO in Geneva. In addition, Mr. Al Turifi was First Secretary General of the Federation of Arab Securities Commissions.

He served as the CEO Business & Investment Advisor of the Security and Commodities Authority, Undersecretary of the Ministry from 2003 to 2015.

Mr. Al Turifi graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Political Science from UAE University in 1982. He has received a number of accolades including the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Excellence in Government Performance.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh

Board Member

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh serves on the Board of Directors for Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, following his appointment in October 2020. He is also Chairman of Institute for Corporate Governance (Hawkama), an initiative of the Dubai International Finance Centre created in 2006 to work with the companies, governments and regulators to help bridge the corporate governance gap in the region.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad serves also as the Managing Director of the Hassan Bin Al Shaikh Industries, joining the family printing business at the ground-level in 1984, and now leads the entire business group, which operates in printing, manufacturing and real estate sectors.

He has taken on previous roles at private and public organisations including Vice Chairman, Emirates Islamic Bank; Board Member, Dubai Export Development Corporation; Chairman, Printing & Publishing Group; and Chairman, Food and Beverage Manufacturing Group at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI); Chairman CBA Advisory Council at Dubai University; Member of Dubai Municipal Council, Chairing Rental Dispute Hearings; and Member of Dubai Economic Council.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad holds a PhD in Economy from Coventry University (UK), MSc in Economics from Dundee University (UK), and a BSc in Political Science from the UAE University.