Nasser Hassan Al-Shaikh

As one of the most influential public figures in Dubai and the region over the past several years, Nasser Bin Hassan Al-Shaikh has held leadership roles at private and public sector organisations, including the Government of Dubai’s Department of Finance, where he served until May 2009 as Director-General, as well as at a wide range of publicly listed firms.

With experience overseeing companies that include interests in real estate finance and development, education, consumer savings products, retail and corporate banking, and aerospace, Mr. Al-Shaikh has played a role in realising the emirate’s long-term vision of economic diversification and growth. His mandate proved especially critical during the initial period when Dubai sought to limit the impact of the global financial crisis on the city, a time when Mr. Al-Shaikh’s role was especially prominent.

Mr. Al-Shaikh has held a very broad range of key posts in Dubai, including as a member of The Executive Council and the Supreme Fiscal Committee, both of which are Government of Dubai bodies. As well, he has served as a member of the board of directors of a range of prominent public and private-sector organisations, including the Government of Dubai’s The Consulting Office, which provides top-tier advisory services to public-sector organisations across the UAE and wider MENA region; Dubai Islamic Bank, the world’s first Islamic bank; and RIT Dubai, an institution of higher education offering the same accredited degrees that are provided by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the United States.

Mr. Al-Shaikh has also served as Chairman of Amlak Finance PJSC, one of the premier real estate finance companies in the Middle East; Deyaar Development PJSC, the region's fastest growing real estate company; and Taaleem, a landmark initiative aimed at raising quality standards in the education sector in Dubai and across the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

Further, Mr. Al-Shaikh has served as Vice Chairman of National Bonds Corporation, a private firm, 50 per cent owned by the Government of Dubai, which is the parent of National Bonds, the Sharia-compliant national savings scheme of the UAE. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, and the Dubai Real Estate Corporation (Government of Dubai).

Earlier, Mr. Al-Shaikh served as Head of Finance and Administration at The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. During his tenure at The Executive Office, Mr. Al-Shaikh oversaw activities including administration, finance, information technology and human resources.

In 2002, Mr. Al-Shaikh was appointed Chief Financial Officer at the Dubai Office (Government of Dubai). In that role, he was entrusted with restructuring the financial responsibilities of the group, centralising the finance and administrative functions within Dubai.

Mr. Al-Shaikh began his career at the Hassan Bin Al-Shaikh Group, where he served as Director of Marketing and Sales between 1994 and 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a concentration in Management, from California State University, San Bernardino, in the United States. He has also attended leadership and business excellence workshops at Cranfield University’s School of Management and the University of Michigan’s Business School.^{[citation needed]}

On 19 May 2009, in a shock move, he was moved to the post of Assistant to the Director of the Rulers Court for Foreign Affairs. Later on June 23, 2009 he was relieved from all Government posts^[1] including his new role in the rulers court after resigning from several public posts a few days earlier.^[2]

His exit, for which no reason was given, shook the business community as he had been seen as one of the key architects of Dubai’s efforts to deal with the fallout from the global financial crisis, which has severely affected the emirate’s economy.^[3]

Just days before being replaced,Al-Shaikh was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Jordan about how the second $10 billion tranche would be distributed. A few weeks prior he also spoke in depth about the economic situation during an exclusive interview on Dubai Eye 103.8's The Business Breakfast.^[4]

References

1. ^ http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Government/10325649.html
2. ^ http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090622/BUSINESS/706229930/1005
3. ^ http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13687129
4. ^ http://www.zawya.com/radio/default.cfm/sidDE090421064603294503

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Name	Al-Shaikh, Nasser Hassan
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