Category: Invited guests

Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Saudi Arabia. He previously served as Director of the Asia-Pacific Region at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire.

Ambassador of France to the United Arab Emirates. He was posted to the French Permanent Representation to the United Nations as a negotiator on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. He served as Political Advisor at the French Embassy in London and as Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for the Armed Forces.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and Engineer. He has held various positions in the Saudi government, including Minister of Agriculture, as well as Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Netherlands and Turkey.

Dean of Academic Affairs at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. Before assuming his current role, he has worked as an associate lecturer of international law for diplomats at the Academy. He previously served as Head of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Management at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.

Head of Middle East and Africa of BNP Paribas Middle East & Africa for Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB). He has worked for BNP Paribas for 32 years in a number of global roles, including leadership positions in Paris, New York & London. Prior to taking the position as Head of BNP Paribas Middle East & Africa, Amine was Senior Advisor to Global Markets. His previous roles also include Global Head of Sustainable Finance in Global Markets and Global Head of Research and Sustainable Investments within Corporate Institutional Banking. Amine also served as Global Head of Commodity Derivatives, and Head of Equity & Derivatives for the Americas. After studying at the Ecole Polytechnique in France, Amine joined BNP Paribas in 1987. He started his career as a precious metals options trader in 1990 in Paris and then New York, where he later headed up energy options trading (oil and natural gas). In 2005 Amine was named by Financial News among the 20 most influential Europeans in America. He is fluent in French, Arabic and English.

Chairman of Hedayah. Leading international expert on Extremism and Education, he is a member of the UAE Federal National Council for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Defense Affairs, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee at the Council.

Former Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France and Germany. Prior to that, he was Director of the European Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looking after bilateral relations. Before joining the Ministry, he held major positions in the field of Media and Communications.

Director of the Strategy and Planning Department, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Mr. Villain is also a permanent invitee to ADIA’s Investment Committee. He began his career as an Assistant Professor of Finance at Paris University, before joining Banque Paribas in 1971 as a Portfolio Manager and later Head of Investments in the Asset Management Department. He joined ADIA in 1982, as Regional Manager for Europe before being appointed as a Senior Fund Manager for all financial assets. He returned to Paribas in 1987 to become the first Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the newly created Paribas Asset Management Company. In 1992, he re-joined ADIA as Regional Manager for European Assets before being promoted in 1995 to the position of Advisor and then Senior Advisor for Investment Strategy. He then became Head of the Tactical Asset Allocation Unit and later Head of the Strategy Unit. Mr. Villain is a member of the Investment Committee of the Abu Dhabi Benefits and Retirement Fund, the pension fund of the citizens of Abu Dhabi. From 2004 to 2013 he was a Director of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and a Governor of the British Community School in Abu Dhabi (BSAK). In 2007, the President of the French Republic made him Chevalier de la Légion d’ Honneur. In 2014 he was made Officer of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen of England. In December 2020 the President of the French Republic promoted him to “ Officier de la Legion d’Honneur”. He was educated in Paris in Politics, Economics and Sciences (Applied Mathematics).

Minister of State to the United Arab Emirates Cabinet since September 2018. With three decades of international experience and business leadership, H.E. supports the government actively in initiatives and efforts that drive the nation’s economic diversification plans and the sustainable future of the UAE. H.E. holds a number of positions including: Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Board Member of Abu Dhabi Development Fund, Board Member of Etihad Aviation Group, Deputy Chairman of Emirates Nature – WWF and serves as the co-Chair of the UAE-UK Business Council.

His Excellency Khalifa Shaheen Almarar was appointed Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the United Arab Emirates in February 2021, after serving as Assistant Minister for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi. Previously, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Turkey, to the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the Syrian Arab Republic, and as a Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia.

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan was appointed at the Federal Government as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in February 2021. Previously, H.E. has served as UAE ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He played a vital role in fostering and developing mutual relations, enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, and realizing the common interests of people of the two brotherly countries. Before that, H.E. has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Her Excellency Hend Al Otaiba was named Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France in July 2021. Previously, she led the UAE Foreign Ministry’s (MoFAIC) Strategic Communications Department, where she was responsible for representing the country’s foreign policies, serving as the principal point of contact for international media, and overseeing the communications efforts of the UAE’s diplomatic missions. Ambassador Al Otaiba joined MoFAIC in April 2017 as an advisor to the Foreign Minister. She was appointed to establish and head the Strategic Communications Department in 2019. Previously, she served as Director of Communications at Abu Dhabi Media, following a period managing cultural programs at the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, during which she worked on the Louvre Abu Dhabi. She received her Master’s degrees from the Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and the UAE National Defense College.

Director of the Department of International Security Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates. He started his diplomatic career as UAE Defense Attaché to France and a Liaison officer to NATO,  before being assigned as the Commander of the Signals Corps and then the Director of Training in the Armed Forces GHQ, and finally as the Executive Director for Policy and Cooperation in the Ministry of Defense before retiring in the rank of a Major General and joining the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the beginning of 2017. 

Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Dredha joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001. During his career, he has carried out different positions in MOFA. From 2010 until 2013 he served as State Protocol Director to Albanian MOFA, and from 2013 to 2016 as Consul General of the Republic of Albania to Bari, Italy. From 2016 up to today is serving as Albanian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. He holds a MA in International Relations from Tirana University.

Secretary-General of the University Leadership Council of the UAE. She was one of the dozen pioneer faculty members present at the creation of the American University of Sharjah, where she was subsequently elected by her peers as President of the University Faculty Senate, served as the Chairperson of the Department of International Studies, and was named as the founding Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs of the American University of Sharjah, serving as pillar of institutional advancement of the university and senior faculty in international law, until she assumed the Secretariat General of the ULC. She has held visiting professorships at leading universities and research institutions in the US and Europe, including the University of California, the University of Michigan, the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies of American University, and the Congressional Research Service of the US Congress. Her books include Globalization and the Gulf (UK: Routledge) and The Supreme Court of the United States Political Doctrine (UC Berkeley Press). She has been invited as a member of the board of Amideast, a member of the board of Catholic University of Saint Benedict’s, and a member of the Commission for the Safeguard of the National Monuments of France, amongst other prestigious boards.

His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak is Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala. Through organic growth, acquisition and merger, Mubadala has become a $282 billion business with assets in more than 50 countries across six international offices. In addition to his commercial responsibilities, Khaldoon holds a number of UAE Government and Abu Dhabi Government responsibilities, including: a Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council since 2006; a Founding Member of Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs; the Presidential Special Envoy to China since 2018; and the Founding Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority.

His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mashreq. Previously, H.E. was the CEO of Mashreq for nearly 30 years and under his leadership, Mashreq has grown from a small local bank to a leading customer centric financial institution in the region known for its innovative products and services. Furthermore, H.E. is also a member of the Board of Directors of Abdullah Al Ghurair Group of Companies, one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, with operations spanning more than 20 countries and business roots stretching back half a century.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Polyteia. An entrepreneur and public policy professional passionate about the way technology is going to transform governments and cities. Polyteia enables city leaders with data-empowered governance solutions. His previous work experience ranges from non-profit sector to public sector. He has worked as a project manager for the LEAD Academy, a Berlin based social-startup promoting leadership for the public good. He is also a partner at Quinoa, a German social enterprise that focuses on offering an alternative educational model for children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Former Personal Advisor to the High Representative and Vice President of the Commission EEAS. He has been a Professor at Sciences Po for over 20 years. He previously served as Special Advisor to Pascal Lamy, European Commissioner for Trade, and later as Strategic Advisor to the French Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017. Founder of the think tank Telos, he was Executive Director of the French think tank En Temps Réel. His fields of research are Europe as a global actor, trade and politics, and global politics. He is a prolific writer: he is the author of numerous books, academic papers, articles, comments in the press, etc. He was awarded the Légion d’honneur. He has a Ph.D. in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris.

Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri is the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency. In her role as Minister of State for Advanced Technology, H.E. spearheads the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s efforts to empower the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and promote research and development in the advanced science and technology sector, to create new industries that drive the shift towards a knowledge-based economy. This, in turn, contributes to the overall mandate of the Ministry to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base, ensure in-country value, and raise the competitiveness of local industries. As Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, H.E. is responsible to oversee the Agency’s mandate of pioneering the space sector, ensuring its contribution to the national economy and to the UAE’s sustainable development. Prior to her Ministerial role, H.E. was the Director of Research and Development at MBRSC, where she established the Centre’s Knowledge and Research Department and put in place product assurance and functionality systems. She was also involved in DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, and in the project development for KhalifaSat. H.E. Sarah Al Amiri holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from the American University of Sharjah.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire since March 2021. He previously served as Secretary General of the Presidency and then Minister of State. He was also simultaneously Executive Secretary of the National Council for Economic Policy in charge of the 2030 Strategic Plan and the 5-year government program “Côte d’Ivoire Solidaire 2021-2025”. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Economic Infrastructure. Before joining the public service, acquired significant experience in the private sector both as an entrepreneur and consultant in strategy and management. He holds a master’s degree in physics from the University of Cocody in Côte d’Ivoire, an engineering degree from the École supérieure d’électricité (Supélec) and a master’s degree in management from Stanford University.

Primary care physician and senior fellow at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research. She got her M.D from Sapporo Medical University and worked as a physician at St Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo for several years. She then got a scholarship from the World Bank and got her MPH at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health and PhD in public health at the University of Tokyo in 2021. From 2011-2013 and 2016, she worked at the international cooperation department, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, where she was deeply involved in health policy activities in Japan. As part of the work, she participated in WHO meetings, G7 meetings, and bilateral cooperation activities through JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). She’s also currently working as associate professor at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University, senior manager at the Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI). Her current research focuses on health system strengthening, health care financing, and politics in global health.

His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan has occupied the position of Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence since October 2017. H.E. Sheikh Nahayan joined the Federal Government in 1990 and held a number of portfolios including Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. H.E. Sheikh Nahayan was also the Chancellor of United Arab Emirates University from 1983 to 2013; Chancellor of Higher Colleges of Technology from 1988 to 2013; and President of Zayed University from 1998 to 2013.

President and Founder of the Emirates Policy Center, which is one of the most important think tanks in the Arab World. Dr. Al Ketbi is a Professor of Political Science at the United Arab Emirates University. In recognition of her role and the great respect she enjoys as part of the distinguished elite in the UAE and the Gulf region, Dr. Al Ketbi was appointed in 2015 as member of the Consultative Commission of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). She was also chosen in 2018 in the list of 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World. In 2019, Dr. Al Ketbi received the Women Super Achiever Award during the World Women Leadership Congress. In 2021, she was chosen as an advisor in the Global Commission for Post-Pandemic Policy.

Foreign & Security Affaires Commentator of Nikkei. He entered Nikkei in 1987 and served in various positions, including Correspondent at the Beijing Bureau (1994-98), Staff Writer of the Political News Dept. (1998-2002), and Chief Correspondent at the Washington, D.C., Bureau (2002-06). He worked at Leader Writing Team of the Financial Times in London (16/10-12). He was also an Associate of the Program on US-Japan Relations at Harvard University (2006-2007). Mr. Akita is the author of two books about US-China-Japan relations (Nikkei, 2008, 2016). He received the Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial International Journalistic Prize in March 2019 for his exceptional international reporting. Mr. Akita graduated from Jiyu Gakuen College in 1987 and received an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University in 1991.

Ambassador of Albania to France, and non-resident to Monaco and Portugal, Representative at the International Organization of La Francophonie. He worked for a long period of time for the European Union, notably at the European Commission and the European External Action Service, where he was in charge of political issues and European and regional developments. He chaired the ad hoc Committee on Accession and Changes to the Statute of La Francophonie and is a founding member of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors of France, of which he was elected Vice Chairman three times. He has been Chairman or member of steering committees of various international organs and programs in the field of development and democratization.

Isabelle Tsakok, development practitioner, policy analyst, researcher, and teacher, is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. She grew up in the Republic of Mauritius, a multilingual, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. She holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University, and a BA in Philosophy/Economics from the London School of Economics. As World Bank staff and consultant, she has focused on agricultural and rural development including on issues of agricultural transformation, food security, and poverty reduction. She has worked in most regions of the developing world, including Africa – North and South of the Sahara; Asia – South, Southeast and East; and Latin America. She has taught courses on agricultural policies and institutions at the World Bank; the School of Agricultural and Rural Department, Renmin University of China; the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University; and the Université Polytechnique Mohamed VI, Morocco. Her publications address issues of methodology of partial equilibrium analysis for assessing agricultural policies and distortions; and of agricultural transformation from smallholder, subsistence to demand-driven commercial farming. Her latest book publication is Success in Agricultural Transformation: What it Means and What Makes it Happen (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011).

Editor in Chief of The National newspaper, a daily English language regional newspaper based in Abu Dhabi. An Iraqi-British journalist, Mina has over 18 years of experience covering Middle Eastern, European and American affairs. She has conducted multiple high profile interviews including with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa AlKadhimi, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Previously, she was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for State Effectiveness (ISE) and a Yale World Fellow.

Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE. In this capacity, she leads the Ministry’s mission of spearheading the UAE’s drive to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, protect the country’s ecosystems, and enhance its food and water security through developing and implementing effective measures, policies, and initiatives. Prior to her current role, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri was appointed as Minister of State for Food and Water Security. Her responsibilities included monitoring national food stocks and water supply, channeling investments in food and water technology innovation, and building international partnerships in this area. Previously, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri held the post of Minister of State for Food Security, where she oversaw the development of the necessary infrastructure to achieve the country’s food security objectives in line with the UAE Centennial 2071.

EU official, Head of the Energy-Intensive Industries and Raw Materials Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Previously, he was Head of Policy Coordination for Energy Union, 2030 Climate and Energy Package, Low Emission Mobility Strategy and the Circular Economy at the Secretariat General. Past EU Trade Negotiator (steel, WTO market access and industrial tariffs). Former UK government official, he coordinated UK preparations for the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Graduated in French and Politics from the University of Bristol. Studied at the École nationale d’administration (ENA).