His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Deputy Ruler of Dubai, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council
Strategic Affairs Council
Established in November 2017, the Strategic Affairs Council replaced the previously known sectorial committees and aims to support The Executive Council (TEC) in its strategic objectives to impact Dubai governance, trade, and culture. The council is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and First Deputy Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. It is mandated to elevate the performance of the TEC by enhancing policy-making strategies across all government sectors; uplifting strategic programs and initiatives that aim to enhance government services and excellence; and ensure collaboration across government entities across the emirate.
The Strategic Affairs Council plays a crucial role in enhancing the decision-making process across government entities in Dubai, and is the driving force behind all strategies, resolutions and policies adopted and implemented across the emirate.
Decisions proposed and implemented by the Strategic Affairs Council ultimately aim to create positive impact in the community and ensure happiness of Dubai citizens and residents.
The Strategic Affairs Council comprises of Secretary Generals and Director Generals of key government entities across the emirate of Dubai, who come together to collectively help implement the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council. The collaboration of government entities across Dubai aims to make government processes more efficient and propose innovative and executional solutions for a sustainable quality of life and a happy emirate.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai as per the decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2003. Afterwards, His Highness was appointed as Second Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai as per a decree issued by His Highness the Ruler of Dubai in2008, while His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was appointed as the First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council.
In 1981, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum appointed His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed was appointed as President of the Department of Civil Aviation in Dubai, which was replaced by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Aviation City Corporation. His Highness also assumes the position of Chairman of the Dubai Duty Free Foundation, as well as Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group since its inception in 1985, which includes Dnata Travel and a number of companies related to the civil aviation sector.
His Highness also holds the position of Chairman of the Department of Oil Affairs, as well as the Chairman of the Dubai Petroleum Establishment, Dubai World, Economic Development Committee and Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee. He also assumes the position of Vice-Chairman of the Dubai World Trade Centre and is the Chairman of the Executive Committee Authority for Expo 2020.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed plays a vital role in promoting Dubai as a global hub for civil aviation, supporting the city’s trade and tourism role globally. He has received many international honours, including the fellowship of the British Royal Aeronautical Society in recognition of his achievements in this field, as well as the Commandeur de l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur (the Legion of Honour), the highest French civilian award and the Hamburg Verfassungsportugaleser, one of Germany’s highest honours. The world’s press nicknamed him the "Prince of Space" in recognition of his role in the aviation industry.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed first attended Al Ahmadiya School in 1963, then Al Shaeb School, then Dubai High School and finally graduated from the Faculty of Politics and Economics at the University of Denver, Colorado, USA, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics.
His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani was appointed Director General of HH the Ruler's Court, following a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai in January 2008. He is a member of The Executive Council of Dubai.
Al Shaibani is also Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank; Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University; and President of the Dubai Office, a private management office for the royal family of Dubai. In this capacity, he was based in London for eight years and he now oversees the functioning of the office from Dubai.
In addition, His Excellency is CEO and Executive Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD); Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Program; Vice Chairman of Deira Investment Company; and a member of the Board of Directors of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.
His Excellency previously served as Head of Personnel Affairs at Port Rashid from 1988 to 1993; Sales Manager in Dubai Ports Authority and Jebel Ali Free Zone from 1993 to 1997;Managing Director for 5 years at Al Khaleej Investment PJSC in Singapore; Director, Chairman of Audit Committee and Member of Remuneration Committee at Emaar Properties PJSC; Chairman of National Bonds; Director, Member of Remuneration & Compensation Committee and Member of Executive Committee at SHUAA Capital PJSC; Head of the Dubai Office of Dubai Bank PJSC (now Emirates Islamic).
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani graduated in 1998 in the US and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer Science.
His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami is the Director General of Dubai Health Authority and a member of the Executive Council of Dubai.
In addition to his work with Dubai Health Authority, His Excellency holds a number of positions including Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Human Resources Authority; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Award for Distinguished Academic Performance; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Award for Volunteerism; Chairman of Emirates Transport; Services Director of the Regional Center for Educational Planning; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hamdan Medical Award; and Founder and member of several public benefit societies in the UAE.
His Excellency has held a number of senior positions in the UAE, including Minister of Health from 2006 until 2009, and Minister of Education from 2009 through 2014. His Excellency served numerous senior and leadership positions including: Chairman of the Civil Service Council; General Manager of the Emirates Institute for Financial Banking Studies from 1991 to 2006; Secretary General of the Human Resources Committee in the Banking Sector from 1996 to 2006; member of the National Elections Authority in 2006; member of the Supreme Committee for Settlement in the Insurance industry from 1997 till 2006; member of the Board of Directors of the National Human Resources Development Authority from 2001 to 2005; Chairman of the Board of Friends of the Environment from 1990 to 1997; and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Society in the UAE from 1997 to 2006. His Excellency also served as a Board member at several banks and organizations.
His Excellency holds a master's degree in management from the University of Western Michigan in the United States in 1985.
His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh has held the position of Director General of the Department of Finance since 2009, and is a member of The Executive Council of Dubai.
In his capacity as the Director General of the entity responsible for preparing budgets of the Emirate and managing central accounts of the government, Al Saleh oversees the operational aspect of the department, while also guiding and directing executives and directors.
His Excellency is a Member of the Strategic Affairs Council of Dubai, and a Member of Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Committee. He is also a Board Member of Dubai World, the Federal Tax Authority, and ENOC. His Excellency is the Chairman of the Dubai Financial Support Fund (DFSF) that was established under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai.
Previously, His Excellency served in numerous leadership positions including: Senior Executive Director for Corporate Affairs in Dubai Customs (DC) where he was responsible for managing the corporate support departments for DC such as Finance, HR Management, HR Development and Admin Services. Al Salah also chaired a number of committees in DC such as the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) Committee; Employee Affairs Committee; Executive Credit Policy Committee; and was a Member of Reform and Modernisation Programme Committee; and Information Technology Steering Committee.
Prior to this, His Excellency held numerous Finance and Accounting positions for government departments on a local and federal level. He gained experience in chairing and participating in various organisational and strategic committees including the Executive Credit Policy Committee and Task Force for Indirect Taxation. His Excellency was a member of the Higher Committee for the Regulation of the Audit Profession in UAE (2002 - 2006).
His Excellency holds an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah (AUS), and is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK.
His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti is the Commissioner General of the Government Development track. The entities under this track include: Dubai Department of Human Resources, Dubai Statistics Centre, Dubai Smart Government. His Excellency has been Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai since October 2017, overseeing the creation and implementation of The Executive Council’s vision, direction, and strategic decisions for the emirate across various sectors, and through the development and management of the council’s public policies. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of Dubai’s Plan 2021, and its alignment with UAE Vision 2021.
Dubai’s high quality of life, positioning, and competitiveness on both the global and regional stage, through the emirate’s world-class strategic sectors and government accountability have thus far been priorities for His Excellency, who currently manages strategic programmes designed to achieve excellence in government performance; as well as review laws and regulations to ensure they are conducive to Dubai’s vision of economic diversification and investment. His Excellency has long been stern when it comes to the application of the principles of good governance as well as the accountability in government work.
In addition to his role as Secretary General of The Executive Council Dubai, His Excellency currently heads the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP), and is board member of numerous initiatives, including The Year of Giving; The Higher Committee for the Year of Zayed; Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination. His Excellency is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Network of Global Future Councils; and is on the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation.
His Excellency has a wealth of experience within the government sector, where he was responsible for the launch of numerous strategic initiatives, from the Emirates Government Services Programme to the Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Council. He has served as the Executive Director of the Government Development Division in the Prime Minister's Office, supervising the launch of both the Emirates Government Services Programme and the UAE Government Leaders Programme; and held the position of Secretary General of the Cabinet at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Future, prior to which he held the position of Director General of The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.
A graduate of Mohammed bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development, His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti holds a master’s degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Wollongong, Dubai, and a Bachelor’s in Information Technology from the University of Dubai.
His Excellency Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri has held the position of Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police since 2017 and is a member of The Executive Council of Dubai.
Prior to being appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri held the position of Deputy Director of the General Department of Protective Security and Emergency of the Dubai Police.
His Excellency joined the Dubai Police forces in 1992 following his graduation and was eventually named Deputy Director of the General Department of Protective Security and Emergency of the Dubai Police in 2014.
His Excellency has been a member of Dubai Sports Council since 2014; Chairman of the Dubai International Peace Convention; Chairman of Hemaya International Forum & Exhibition on Drug Issues; Chairman of UAE National Day Celebrations team in Dubai; Chairman of the National Elections team in Dubai; Member of the Local Committee of Emergency and Disasters; Member of Committee of specialized teams at the level of the Ministry of Interior and Member of specialized teams’ association on the world level.
In his previous roles, His Excellency headed the Events Committee – an entity in charge of insuring the largest and most important governmental and semi-governmental functions in the Emirate. Examples include New Year celebrations; Dubai World Cup; Government Summit; Dubai Tour; as well as conferences and exhibitions. Al Marri received 200 certificates of appreciation including Dubai Government Excellence Award and Safety and Security Award from the UK Ideas awards for the idea of a motorcycle jacket. He established the Events Committee in 2008 that aims to unite efforts of various entities involved in insuring events. The committee received an award from the Dubai Government Excellence Program in 2012.
His Excellency holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the United Arab Emirates University College of Humanities and Social Sciences (1991); a Diploma in Police Science (1992); and a Diploma from The University of Virginia (2005).
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer was assigned with leading the Roads and Transport Authority in November 2005. Under his leadership and driving force, he established a competent and experienced specialist workforce, thereby driving the organization through remarkable achievements that have positioned RTA into a world-class organization.
His Excellency supervised the establishment of RTA and provided it with specialized competencies and expertise, and since then the Authority has made many great achievements, placing it among the distinguished and acclaimed international bodies in the field of roads and transportation.
Given his extensive work experience, His Excellency has the ability to think out of the box and create innovative and creative solutions to the challenges facing the future of transport and communications in the Emirate of Dubai. His Excellency also studies, analyses and discusses global trends in the fields of mobility, taking into account the various scenarios expected to occur in the Emirate, and considering all natural and environmental factors and future technological, economic and political changes. He also holds the ability to deal with and contain such changes, through identifying and setting procedures, policies and laws in line with the various potential and expected changes to the region.
Prior to taking the helm with RTA, His Excellency worked in Dubai Municipality since in 1983, holding several leadership roles and eventually moving as Deputy Director General of the Dubai Municipality.
His Excellency, a professional civil engineer, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1983, and holds an Honorary Fellowship of the British Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), 2010.
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer is the Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) with an overall experience of more than 34 years in the field of telecommunications, energy, water, infrastructure, oil, gas and industry. He is a member of the Executive Council of Dubai.
Under his leadership since 1992, DEWA achieved unprecedented successes and has become one of the very best distinguished utilities in all aspects on an international level. Al Tayer has successfully established several companies including Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO), Mai Dubai and many others.
His Excellency is a member of Strategic Affairs Council, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), Chairman of Dubai Smart City Office, Vice Chairman of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Vice Chairman of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Vice Chairman of Dragon Oil Company, Chairman of UAE Water Aid (SUQIA) Board Of Trustees, and Chairman of World Green Economy Organization (WGEO). In addition, he is a member, vice chairman, or chairman of various high-level committees and councils in the Emirate of Dubai.
His Excellency received a number of prestigious awards such as the “Middle East Champion of Energy” award received at the World Green Economy Summit 2015 from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). On 18 May 2016, the UNDP appointed His Excellency as "UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals". In addition, the Swiss Business Council, Dubai & Northern Emirates awarded His Excellency the prestigious “Lord of Matterhorn Award”. His Excellency has also received an honorary doctorate from Amity University in Dubai in appreciation of his continuing innovative efforts to achieve excellence and enhance scientific knowledge and sustainability.
His Excellency Eng. Dawood Al Hajiri assumed the post of Director General of Dubai Municipality in 2018, and is a member of the Executive Council of Dubai. His Excellency oversees six sectors comprising 34 departments, followed by 5 departments offering administrative support.
His Excellency incorporates artificial intelligence into the municipality's work, in order to keep abreast of latest developments in all aspects related to municipal operations, and to build a sustainable future for future generations.
He began his career as a town planner in the Planning Department and then held several positions in diverse fields, including the Head of Planning Section and went on to become the Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Engineering and Planning Sector.
Al Hajiri represented Dubai Municipality in many conferences and seminars and has vast experience in planning, investment and urban development, and his extensive experience has a positive impact on his membership in several committees at the internal and external levels of the Municipality; the most important of which is the chairmanship of the board directors of Society of Engineers, and the Higher Committee of Dubai Urban Plan 2020 as well as other international organizations. He is also chairman of the UAE Table Tennis Association, a board member of UAE Olympic Committee, a former member of the board directors of Al Naser Sports Club, and a board members for numerous councils and committees in the Emirate.
Al Hajiri holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Construction Technology from the Eastern Washington University, USA in 1933. He later graduated from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Leadership Development Program and was awarded the Creative Leader Award from the Dubai Government Excellence Program in 2015.
His Excellency Sami Ahmad Dhaen Al Qamzi has been in the position of Director General of the Department of Economic Development since September 2008, and is a member of The Executive Council of Dubai. His Excellency fills the position of Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Dubai Media Incorporated, which he has held since 2012.
Prior to joining the Department of Economic Development, His Excellency was the Director General of the Department of Finance (June 2005 – September 2008). During his three-year tenure, His Excellency worked directly with The Ruler’s Court as well as The Executive Council of Dubai to set strategies relevant and specific to the Department of Finance that serve to support the economic and financial objectives of the Emirate.
His Excellency is also a member of the Strategic Affairs Council; Vice Chairman of The Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC); Board Member of the Dubai Real Estate Corporation (DREC); Board Member of Zayed University; Member of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; Board Member of Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University; Member of the Higher Committee of the Dubai Smart City Project; Member of the UAE Soft Power Council; Member of the National Industrial Coordination Council and Member of the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination; and a former Board Member of the Securities and Commodities Authority; Union National Bank; International Humanitarian City; and former Vice Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment.
His Excellency started his career as an officer in the financial department of the armed forces from 1986 – 1998, after which he joined Al Bayan Newspaper and held the role of finance manager. In 2003, His Excellency moved to Dubai Media Incorporated where he held the position of Chief Financial Officer. In 2004, he returned to Al Bayan Newspaper as Chief Executive Officer.
His Excellency holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Accounting from the Emirates University (1985). His Excellency attended numerous leadership workshops and training sessions, and joined various seminars and conferences throughout his professional life.