DFSA Chairman announces appointments to DFSA Board of Directors

Notes and media contacts

About DFSA:
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is the independent regulator of financial and ancillary services conducted through the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a purpose-built financial free-zone in Dubai.

The DFSA's regulatory mandate covers asset management, banking and credit services, securities, collective investment funds, custody and trust services, commodities futures trading, Islamic finance, insurance, an international equities exchange and an international commodities derivatives exchange.

Abdullah M. Saleh was appointed as Chairman of the DFSA on 17th June 2007, having served as a Director of the DFSA since 2004. Mr. Saleh is the Vice Chairman of Emirates NBD PJSC and before its merger, he was Chairman of the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) and previously Managing Director, having been one of the bank's founders in 1963. Mr. Saleh is a former adviser on financial matters to the Late Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Mr. Saleh served as an Arbitrator on the Paris-based High Board of the Euro-Arab Arbitration Centre, from 1988 to 2000. He is a Board Member of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and a Member of the DCCI Arbitration Committee.

He has been a Member of the Board of Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC) since 1990 and has been Chairman of International Octane Limited (IOL) since 1990. He is a Director and major shareholder of Dubai Transport Company LLC (DUTCO), the holding company of the DUTCO Group of Companies. He has been Chairman of MARSHINSCO (insurance brokers) since 1976.

Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali is the Executive Chairman for Dubai Holding. As well as being on the Board of Dubai Holding and several of its entities, including Jumeirah Group, Sama Dubai, Dubai International Capital, Dubai Group and Dubai First, Fadel is also on the Board of Directors for Dubai Bourse, Dubai Bank, Bank Islam in Malaysia and National Bonds.

Fadel has considerable experience in the finance industry which included several years at Citibank before his move to Dubai Holdings. Prior to this appointment he was also on the board of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange. Fadel graduated from the University of Southern California with Bachelor of Science in Industrial and System Engineering. He also holds a Certificate of Finance from the American University of Sharjah.

Abdul Wahid Al Ulama is a Member of Board of Directors for Dubai World, Vice Chairman Leisurecorp LLC and Vice Chairman Dubai Natural Resources World.

Prior to joining Dubai World, Abdul Wahid was a Partner with the prominent law firm, Al Tamimi & Company Advocates & Legal Consultants. He is a member of the Dubai International Financial Centre's Islamic Finance Advisory Council (IFAC) in Dubai.

Abdul Wahid graduated with a LLB Degree from the UAE University. He is a Chevening scholar who later obtained his LLM (Masters) from the University College London (UCL) specialising in International Trade and Maritime Law.

For further information, kindly contact:
Ms. Angharad Irving - Jones
Manager, Communications and Strategic Planning
Dubai Financial Services Authority
Level 13, The Gate
Dubai, U.A.E.
Tel: +971 (0)4 362 1661
Fax: +971 (0)4 362 0801
or
Nahed Ashour
Consultant
Capital MS&L
Dubai Media City
P.O. Box 502697, Dubai, UAE
D: +971 4 4276 447
F: +971 4 427 8689