Economist by education and a graduate of New York University, Nasser Al Nowais founded and chaired for 14 years the Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company, the largest hotel and industrial catering company in the region where he acquired vast experience in the hospitality industry.

He was also Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Fund where he administered numerous touristic, industrial and agricultural investments as well as infrastructural projects in the Middle-East and Africa. 

In addition to the prominent roles held in the world of banking, insurance, airline and tourism investment, Nasser was also Under Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Industry of the U.A.E. Government.

Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Rotana, Selim El Zyr graduated from EHL in 1970. After completion of his post graduate studies in Cornell and Columbia Universities, Selim held his first job as Chief Steward in the Waldorf in New York.

Selim then spent 12 years with Hilton International in Germany, Spain, Egypt, Canada and the U.A.E. until he earned the title of Regional Director before he decided to shift into industrial catering by establishing a leading Lebanese fast food chain in 1982.

After Lebanon he then moved to the U.A.E. in the capacity of Vice President for Abu Dhabi National Hotels overseeing their operations in the Emirates as well as overseas.

With an extensive background in hotel and finance management at the executive level, Nael Hashweh provides the sound financial platform that is essential to successful hotel management. He has held executive financial positions in Jerusalem, the Mariana Islands and Abu Dhabi.

After spending 11 years with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, he joined Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company, heading the departments of finance and administration as well as hotel operations and controls. In his 10 years of experience with ADNHC, Nael has overseen project assessments in over 20 countries in Europe, Asia and North Africa.

H.E. Hussain J. Al Nowais has over 25 years of combined experience in business management, banking, finance, investment, hospitality, real estate, and industrial and project development.

A UAE national, born in Abu Dhabi and graduated with a BA degree in Business Administration from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, USA. With over twenty-five years of experience, Al Nowais has been actively involved in setting up new businesses and acquisition of ongoing business. Currently, he is Chairman of Sheikh Khalifa Fund to Support & Develop Small & Medium Enterprises, Emirates Steel Industries (ESI), Oasis Capital, National Petroleum Construction Company NPCC as well as Emirates Holdings. He is also Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation ADBIC, ARABTE C and Abraaj Capital.

Founder, Executive Chairman of Arabtec Construction and CEO of Arabtec Holding, which operates out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Karachi, Damascus & St. Petersburg.

After graduating as a Civil Engineer from the Imperial College of London University with a Masters degree from the same college in Structural Engineering, Riad Kamal began his career in 1966 in London. In 1974 Riad moved to Dubai and started his own construction company which he took public thirty years later to become the first private company to become public in the UAE and one of the five largest contractors in the MENA region.