Six key officials representing Dubai’s business community: Abdul Rahman Saif al-Ghurair, Majed Hamad al-Shamsi, Hisham Abdulla al-Shirawi, Hamad Buamin, Abdul Jalil Yousuf Darwish and Raja Essa al-Gurg
Abdul Rahman Saif al-Ghurair
Position: Chairman
Biography: Al-Ghurair is from one of Dubai’s most prominent business families and was first elected chairman of the Dubai chamber in 2008. He was re-elected to the position in 2010. The Al-Ghurair Group is a diversified company that owns some of Dubai’s most well-known buildings and brands. Interests include aluminium, real estate, banking and finance, and packaging. Assets owned by the family include the Burjuman Shopping Mall, the downstream aluminium facility Gulf Extrusions and the bank Mashreq. Al-Ghurair is a board member of Abdul Rahman Saif al-Ghurair Investments and has sat on the Dubai Economic Council since 2003. He owns the Al-Ghurair Exchange and is chairman of two information technology companies, Raqmiyat and Trigon Computers. His board memberships also include Commercial Bank of Dubai, Otis Elevator Company Middle East and National Cement Company.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 262 3377
Majed Hamad al-Shamsi
Position: First vice-chairman
Biography: Al-Shamsi also comes from one of Dubai’s oldest and most prominent business families. He holds several positions within the Al-Shamsi Group and is general manager of Hamad Rahma Abdulla al-Shamsi General Trading, a building materials company formed in 1955. The firm specialises in sanitary products and water heaters, as well as other general building supplies. Al-Shamsi is also chairman of the Union Co-operative Society, a retail supermarket group that has several outlets across Dubai. Al-Shamsi holds a number of other chairmanships including the Consumer Co-operative in the UAE and the University of Dubai board of trustees. He is also a board member of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Dubai Economic Council. Al-Shamsi studied management and finance at the US’ New York University, completing his degree in 1978.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 266 6429
Hisham Abdulla al-Shirawi
Position: Second vice-chairman
Biography: Al-Shirawi is chief executive officer of Oasis Enterprises as well as a board member for the Al-Shirawi Group. He worked his way up through the family business, which is has diversified into 29 different companies. The firm is closely linked to the Abdulla al-Shirawi and Mohan Valrani families in the UAE, but has interests across the Middle East. As head of Oasis Enterprises, Al-Shirawi is involved in a range of business activities throughout Dubai, from electronics to manufacturing, building services and engineering. He holds several chairmanships, including Economic Zones World, which sets up and manages business parks, and Electronics Business Group. He is also a board member of the Dubai Economic Council. Al-Shirawi has an master’s in business administration from the US’ California State College and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 282 1000
Hamad Buamin
Position: Director general
Biography: Buamin assumed the role of director general of the chamber in 2006 after a varied career encompassing banking, economics and engineering in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the chamber, Buamin was secretary general of the Dubai Economic Council, as well as a corporate manager for the UK’s HSBC Group. Buamin started his career in 1996 as a senior systems engineer at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. In addition to his duties for the chamber, he is a board member for Dubai World, Emirates NBD Bank and Union Properties, as well as chairman of Emirates Financial Services. Buamin has lectured in finance at the UAE University and is vice chairman of the World Chambers Federation. He graduated from the US’ University of Southern California with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and has master’s in business administration from the University of Missouri, also in the US.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 202 8300
Abdul Jalil Yousuf Darwish
Position: Treasurer
Biography: Outside his chamber duties, Darwish is a businessman with a diverse set of interests across various sectors, including banking, real estate, building materials and engineering. Darwish has held several posts with UK bank HSBC in Dubai. His notable banking positions have included being chief executive officer of HSBC Dubai, vice-chairman of HSBC Middle East and chairman of HSBC Middle East Finance Company. He also serves as a member of the Dubai Economic Council, board member of the National Bank of Umm al-Quwain and deputy chairman of the Higher Committee for Human Resources Development in the Banking Sector. Darwish has a keen interest in the local education sector and is on the advisory council of the UAE’s Zayed University. He is a board member of Dubai University as well as deputy chairman of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 228 0000
Raja Essa al-Gurg
Position: Board member
Biography: Al-Gurg is managing director of the Easa Saleh al-Gurg Group. The family-run company consists of 23 divisions and specialises in trading, manufacturing, retail franchises and real estate. Al-Gurg joined the group in 1989 and worked in several management positions before becoming managing director and taking over the full operations of the business. Al-Gurg started her career in education, joining the Education Ministry in 1978. While working in the sector, she was appointed principal of Zabeel Secondary School for Girls in Dubai. Al-Gurg graduated with a degree in English literature from Kuwait University in 1977. She is a member of several bodies, including the Dubai Economic Council, the Dubai Women Association and the Arab International Women Forum. Al-Gurg is also a member of the National Advisory Council in the College of Business Science at Zayed University.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 227 9666
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