Dr. Mohammed Abu Ali appointed Dean of School of Business Administration

The appointment of Dr. Abu Ali came as no surprise. His qualifications, experience, energy and vision are the qualities needed to lead the SBA and chart its future path. "With his solid academic credentials, vast professional expertise, international, regional and local networking abilities and, especially, his AUD-specific experience and service over the last six years, Dr. Abu Ali's appointment as SBA Dean will bring leadership stability, operational effectiveness and a sense of strategic direction within the school" says Dr. Jihad Nader.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Ali joined AUD in 2006 as Assistant Professor of Economics and served as Chair, Department of Finance, Accounting and Economics from May 2007 to August 2010, then was promoted to Associate Professor of Economics in September 2010. Upon the news of his appointment, Dr. Abu Ali commented: "It is an honor and a privilege, to assume the role of Dean of the School of Business Administration, and to collaborate with the distinguished AUD leadership and highly committed team of faculty members. The School of Business Administration is a national and regional leader in business education, one that continuously strives for academic excellence."

Dr. Abu Ali's experience spans nearly three decades in academic, corporate, public sector, financial services, international financial agency and consultancy positions in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Notably, he has held appointments as Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley in Washington, DC, Economic Consultant with the World Bank, also in Washington, DC, and Head of Business Environment, Corporate Planning, Qatar Petroleum, Doha.

He has conducted econometric forecasts of oil pricing and has served as a delegate to the WTO, OPEC and UNCTAD. His research interests include but are not limited to: investigating the structure of industrial finance, evaluating financial performance, conducting stock market risk analysis, and analyzing factors that affect foreign direct investment in emerging market economies.

He has also authored numerous academic and policy papers and has received several letters of recognition and awards, including the Morgan Stanley Outstanding Performance Award in 2000.

Dr. Abu Ali holds a Ph.D. in Economics and a M.A. in Economics both from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, USA; a M.A. in Economics from Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC; a M.A. in Finance also from CUA; and a B.S. in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from La Roche College in Pittsburgh. "We are proud that the UAE business community recognizes our graduates as outstanding and visionary professionals. We look forward to further expand our partnership and alliances with the UAE business community," added Dr. Abu Ali.

Faculty members within the School of Business Administration at AUD are highly qualified professionals. They are in regular contact with the business community through research, consultancy, and professional associations. Their knowledge and experiences translate into a rigorous and intellectually rewarding environment for students.

The Mission of the School of Business Administration (SBA) at AUD is to provide UAE, GCC and international students with high-quality, forward-looking, career-oriented educational programs in the management of business organizations, with the option of selecting concentrations in one or more functional areas of business management.