Hussain al-Nowais

Position: Chairman, Emirates Steel Industries

Biography: Hussain al-Nowais is a UAE national with more than 25 years’ experience in banking, finance, investment sectors as well as project development. He has been chairman of Emirates Steel Industries since its inception in 2001. Al-Nowais is also chairman of the National Petroleum Construction Company and Emirates Holdings, and vice-chairman of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation, which owns Emirates Steel Industries. He is a board member of several government institutions including Abu Dhabi Economic Development Council, the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones, Abu Dhabi Securities Markets and Abu Dhabi Ports Company. Hussain graduated in 1979 with a BA in business administration, majoring in finance, from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, US. He has attended various executive management courses at Insead in France and the London Business School.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2507 2209

Vikram Bhatia

Position: Director, Alam Steel

Biography: Vikram Bhatia joined Jebel Ali-headquartered Alam Steel in 2002. He has led the company’s evolution from rebar trading to becoming a diversified steel distribution and processing group with a regional presence. Bhatia previously worked as an investment banker at the Carson Group in New York. In 2000, he received a BSc in Finance & Economics from Babson College, Boston. Bhatia was part of the Alam Steel management team that set up the joint venture with Macsteel in June this year, with the aim of building the first service centre in the Middle East for processing high-grade steel plates and sections. Bhatia became a board member of the Macsteel Gulf Free Zone Company when the joint venture was established. His role leading the company’s strategic business development involves the expansion of Alam Steel beyond the UAE into the wider GCC.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4886 1200

Lovraj Talwar

Position: Chief executive officer (CEO), Emirates Rebar

Biography: Lovraj Talwar founded Emirates Rebar in 1997. The company is part of the Bukhatir Group, a company set up by entrepreneur Abdulrahman Mohammed Bukhatir in 1974. Emirates Rebar, was established by Talwar to satisfy local demand for factory fabricated steel reinforcement. Talwar is also managing director of the Sharjah-based Terrazzo Group, which was set up as a joint venture in 1977. It is a UAE company that manufactures building material products, and supplies many of the major government departments in the UAE. Talwar is a shareholder in the Talwar family business, tile company Nitco Tiles & Marbles - based in Andhra Pradesh, India - one of the largest tile manufacturers in India. He is also managing director of Trade House, which distributes products including steel bars and timber.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4883 9267

Sridhar Krishnamoorthy

Position: Deputy CEO, Emirates Steel Industries

Biography: Appointed deputy CEO in April this year, Sridhar Krishnamoorthy joined Emirates Steel from Arcelor Mittal in Beijing where he was deputy CEO, with responsibility for various joint ventures. He was also the vice-general manager of China’s tenth-largest steel company, Hunan Valin, in which Arcelor Mittal has a 33 per cent stake. Mandarin speaker Krishnamoorthy holds a BSc in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, and a Master’s degree in energy technology from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. He also holds an MBA from Monash University in Australia and has worked in a variety of industries including chemicals and engineering consulting, before spending 12 years at Arcelor Mittal. Emirates Steel Industries is a government-owned factory located in the recently opened Industrial City of Abu Dhabi.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2 5072134

Abu Bucker Husain

Position: Chief operating officer, Al-Ghurair Iron & Steel

Biography: Al-Ghurair Iron & Steel is a company promoted by Dubai-based trading conglomerate Tradeline. Abu Bucker Husain returned to Tradeline and Al-Ghurair in April 2007 to take up the post of chief operating officer, having first joined in 1994 as a graduate. Husain earned his Bachelor’s degree in commerce and accounting in 1994, from Mumbai’s Sydenham College. In 1997, he earned membership of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in London, the same year he became manager of chartering at Tradeline. A year later, Husain joined the MBA programme at Boston University’s Graduate School of Management. He moved to New York in 1999, to join American International Group. In 2006, Husain qualified for membership of the Islamic finance standards board, the Accounting & Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4221 9086

Ajay Aggarwal

Position: CEO, RAK Steel

Biography: Having been involved in the formation of RAK Steel, a joint venture involving the Ras al-Khaimah Investment Authority, Ajay Aggarwal was appointed CEO when the company became operational in March this year. Aggarwal, who will manage the growth of RAK Steel, is a qualified mechanical engineer and holds a Master’s degree in business administration. He has worked in management roles at blue-chip companies including engineering and consumer products company Godrej in India, and Omani conglomerate Saud Bahwan Group. Aggarwal has developed expertise in human resources management and leadership, and is a business partner with training company FranklinCovey South Asia. RAK Steel is a $50m government investment-backed company set up to manufacture 500,000 tonnes of rebar each year in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly mill.

Contact Tel: (+971) 7258 5459