Hazza Zaal, CEO of Al Barari Real Estate Group, represents a different interpretation of luxury development in Dubai—one where nature is part of the product rather than simply an amenity.His professional journey began in sales after graduating from Bond University in Australia. That early experience gave him direct exposure to customer expectations, relationship building and the importance of listening. Those lessons later informed his approach to development.Al Barari is known for a nature-led residential concept, and Zaal has continued to develop that philosophy as the company expands. The emphasis is on greenery, wellness and environments designed around how residents live…
Author: Taim
H.E. Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi has built a career that crosses media, government, sport and real estate. Today he serves as CEO of A.R.M. Holding, while also holding public responsibilities connected to the UAE’s media and racing sectors.His earlier career included senior roles at Dubai Media Incorporated and du, where he worked on broadcast strategy, infrastructure and digital media. That experience gave him a foundation in large-scale systems and technology before moving into the built environment.At A.R.M. Holding, his focus extends into residential development, co-living, real estate investment and major urban transformation. The group’s work at the Jebel Ali Racecourse…
Suhail bin Nakhira Al Afari represents a style of leadership that combines commercial activity with public and community involvement. He is Chairman of Royal Horizon Holding and has also been associated with national initiatives supporting entrepreneurship and community development.His business role places him within an investment environment where projects are expected to create economic value while aligning with the UAE’s broader development priorities.Al Afari’s public profile also reflects an interest in supporting initiatives that benefit communities. This combination of investment and social responsibility is increasingly visible across the UAE, where private-sector leaders often participate in initiatives that extend beyond their…
Haitham Abdelbaki serves as CEO of Taif Al Emarat, where his role focuses on business operations, strategic development and organizational growth.His leadership profile centers on a familiar challenge for growing companies: turning expansion into a repeatable operating model. That means strengthening processes, improving efficiency, developing new opportunities and aligning teams around long-term goals.In competitive markets, growth can create complexity as quickly as it creates revenue. Leaders therefore need systems that allow businesses to expand without losing control over execution. Abdelbaki’s role at Taif Al Emarat reflects this operational dimension of leadership.His approach also emphasizes innovation and decision-making, suggesting a model…
Sabele Buraik’s career connects the US commercial property market with Dubai’s international real estate environment. She is the Founder and CEO of Blackstone Gulf Real Estate and has more than two decades of experience across property and commercial finance.Buraik studied computer science at Georgetown University and began her real estate career in California in 1998. She later worked in commercial lending before moving to Dubai in 2006, where she worked with major developers and built expertise in commercial property.In 2016, she founded Blackstone Gulf Real Estate. The company’s services include property management, commercial real estate, development and appraisal.Her journey illustrates…
Sophie Vancaeneghem has built her professional profile around a question that increasingly matters across every industry: how should companies design experiences that customers genuinely value?As Co-Founder of CX Centric, she works on customer-experience transformation, service quality, customer journeys and data-informed decision-making. Her perspective places human experience alongside operational performance rather than treating customer experience as a purely marketing function.That distinction matters in sectors such as aviation, hospitality, retail and financial services, where a single interaction can shape a customer’s perception of an entire brand. Technology can remove friction, but it does not eliminate the importance of human attention.Vancaeneghem’s public commentary…
Eng. Mohamed Amara is Chairman of Intelligent Group, a UAE-based infrastructure and engineering business working across utilities, energy and related projects.His leadership is increasingly associated with the evolution of infrastructure delivery from conventional contracting toward more integrated engineering and utility solutions. Intelligent Group’s activities include EPC delivery, engineering, substations, automation, cybersecurity, water and civil works.The company’s expansion into Egypt illustrates this regional direction. Intelligent Group has established a regional headquarters in Cairo and is participating in a 500 kV transmission project, linking its UAE experience with growing infrastructure requirements in North Africa.Amara’s role sits at the intersection of technical execution…
Lucie Teplá brings an academic perspective to the leadership conversation through her work in finance education and research. She is a Senior Affiliate Professor of Finance at INSEAD and serves as Academic Director of the school’s Masters in Finance.Her research interests include portfolio choice, risk management and credit risk, while her teaching covers corporate financial policy, derivatives and financial economics. Before joining INSEAD, she worked in financial services and consulting.What makes Teplá’s profile relevant to business leaders is the connection between rigorous financial theory and practical decision-making. Executives increasingly operate in environments shaped by market volatility, financing costs and complex…
Mas Watad has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of health, nutrition, technology and community education. As Co-Founder and President of Dawsat International, she has developed wellness programs designed around the food habits and cultural realities of Arab communities.Dawsat’s model combines nutrition education, digital tools and lifestyle support rather than treating health as a one-time intervention. The company’s work reflects a preventive approach: helping people change daily habits before lifestyle-related problems become more difficult to manage.Watad’s experience also illustrates the changing role of health entrepreneurship in the region. Digital wellness platforms can connect education, data and practical…
Basel Al Kasem is the Founder and Chairman of Al Basel Group, a diversified business platform with interests that include real estate, consultancy, investment, travel and recruitment.The group was established in 2007, after Al Kasem had spent years in Dubai’s business environment, including a senior business development role at Burj Al Arab. His academic background includes economics and postgraduate business studies, complemented by executive education.Diversification has been central to his entrepreneurial strategy. Rather than concentrating on one sector, Al Kasem has built businesses that serve different parts of the commercial ecosystem. That approach requires a broad understanding of customers, partnerships,…