UAE industry

17 December 2013

Six executives managing the growth and diversification of Abu Dhabi’s industrial sector: Mohamed Hassan al-Qemzi, Mohammed Omar Abdullah, Mohammed Omar Abdullah, Jamal Salem al-Dhaheri, Saeed Ghumran al-Romaithi, Mohammad Sahoo al-Suwaidi and John Lesniewski

Mohamed Hassan al-Qemzi

Position: Chief executive officer, ZonesCorp

Biography: Mohamed Hassan al-Qemzi is chief executive officer (CEO) at the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp) in Abu Dhabi. The company presides over five industrial zones located in Mussafah and Al-Ain. Prior to his current position, Al-Qemzi was senior vice-president at Abu Dhabi Polymers Park, which is part of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (Adbic), and was responsible for the park’s overall development. In the past, he worked with Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) in Singapore as sales planning manager, where he was responsible for Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Al-Qemzi has also worked as procurement unit manager at Borouge in Abu Dhabi. He has a degree in construction engineering management from California State University in the US.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 550 0000

Mohammed Omar Abdullah

Position: Undersecretary, Department of Economic Development (DED)

Biography: Mohammed Omar Abdullah joined Abu Dhabi’s DED as undersecretary in March 2007. Before joining the DED, Abdullah was director-general of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry from May 1997 to March 2007. He is a board member of organisations including National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Media Company, the Khalifa Fund, National Drilling Company and the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions & Benefits Fund. The DED is responsible for proposing the economic and commercial policies of Abu Dhabi and preparing the plans and programmes required for implementing these. The department provides commercial licensing and trade name registration. The DED has set up a new Industrial Development Bureau to oversee the emirate’s future industrial development strategy.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 403 1333

Jamal Salem al-Dhaheri

Position: Chief operating officer, General Holding Corporation (Senaat)

Biography: Jamal Salem al-Dhaheri is chief operating officer of Abu Dhabi-owned Senaat, a group that owns several key industrial companies in the UAE. Al-Dhaheri is also the chairman of Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company (Talex) and cable manufacturing company Ducab. He has served in key management positions within Abu Dhabi’s largest industrial entities, including Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), Union Water and Electricity Company and Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea). Al-Dhaheri served as CEO of Adbic until it merged with General Holding Corporation to form Senaat. He also serves on the boards of Senaat-owned Emirates Steel, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company and the Khalifa Fund. Al-Dhaheri has a degree in engineering management from the University of the Pacific in the US.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 614 4444

Saeed Ghumran al-Romaithi

Position: CEO, Emirates Steel Industries

Biography: Saeed Ghumran al-Romaithi was appointed CEO of Emirates Steel in August 2012, becoming the first UAE national to head up the country’s largest steel company. Al-Romaithi, who served as senior vice-president of operations prior to being promoted to CEO, graduated in electrical engineering from California State University in the US. He worked for Senaat – Emirates Steel’s parent group – before joining Emirates Steel as a production engineer. Al-Romaithi held several senior positions before being promoted to vice-president of primary production. He replaced Gregor Munstermann, who was appointed CEO of Emirates Steel in 2009. Al-Romaithi is overseeing the third-phase expansion of Emirates Steel’s complex in Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, which will see capacity increase to 1.4 million tonnes a year.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 551 1187

Mohammad Sahoo al-Suwaidi

Position: Director of gas directorate, Adnoc

Biography: Mohammad Sahoo al-Suwaidi is the director of the gas directorate at Adnoc, which has a key role in distributing gas to new industrial projects across the UAE capital. The state-owned oil company is currently assessing bids from firms vying to take stakes in its onshore oil fields, the concession for which expires in early January. Al-Suwaidi is also CEO of Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco), chairman of Adnoc Linde Industrial Gases Company (Elixier) and a board member of Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company (Al-Hosn Gas), Borouge and Ruwais Fertiliser Industries (Fertil). In addition, he is a board member of government bodies including the Regulation & Supervision Bureau, the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions & Benefits Fund and the Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council. Al-Suwaidi has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California in the US.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 602 0000

John Lesniewski

Position: Acting commercial executive director, Etihad Rail

Biography: John Lesniewski is acting executive director at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Rail, which is overseeing the development of the UAE’s rail network. Lesniewski has several years of experience in the Middle East, previously serving as director of sales at Etihad Rail and spending 12 years in Kuwait in project management and product development roles. He is a former vice-president at Pacer International, one of North America’s largest rail intermodal operating firms, where he led their business development, sales management, marketing, research and product development. Lesniewski also held the position of regional manager for freight planning at the US’ Wilbur Smith Associates. The federal railway will be built in phases to link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, as well as to form a vital part of the planned regional railway network linking the countries of the GCC.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 499 9999

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