DIFC appoints Hussain Al Qemzi as COO

The Dubai International Financial centre (DIFC) announced today the appointment of Mr. Hussain Al Qemzi as Chief Operating Officer of the DIFC Development Company. The announcement was made by Anis Al Jallaf, Chairman of the DIFC Board of Directors during a press conference at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

The DIFC initiative, which was launched by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister on the 16th of February 2002, aims to position Dubai as a universally recognized hub for institutional finance and a regional gateway for capital and investment.

The objectives of the DIFC Development Company are two fold:

1) To attract the best global and regional financial institutions, corporations and service providers to operate in DIFC and to do business in the Region

2) To provide a unique one-stop service window catering to all the needs of DIFC users and licence holders

The DIFC Development Company, which leads the commercial development of the DIFC initiative, will work in parallel with the DIFC Regulatory Agency, which focuses on regulation and market supervision.

In his leadership role at the DIFC Development Company, Mr. Al Qemzi will spearhead the development of the DIFCs service offering, the identification of new sectors of activity and the delivery of DIFCs value proposition to customers. He will leverage his extensive operational experience in banking and his reputation for delivery of quality and his drive for excellence to ensure that DIFC customers are delighted with the services offered.

Mr. Al Qemzi is a seasoned banker with over 20 years of experience with top global financial institutions such as Citibank and HSBC. Prior to his appointment at DIFC, Mr. Al Qemzi was the Strategic Management Director of First Gulf Bank. He serves as a Director of the Dubai Financial Market.

The appointment of Mr. Al Qemzi to the post of COO by the DIFC Board of Directors was made after extensive research into, and evaluation of, potential eligible candidates. Mr. Al Qemzis selection for this important and critical role is based on his breadth of experience, spanning across corporate banking, consumer banking, operations, business development and strategic management, combined with his leadership skills, track record of delivery and customer focused approach.