YAL BOARD MEMBERS
Young Arab Leaders
Young Arab Leaders
HE Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Mumtalakat in May 2023. Prior to joining Mumtalakat, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of Osool Asset Management, the investment arm of the Social Insurance Organisation, which manages around USD12 billion across different asset classes globally, and has more than 22 years of experience in the Banking and Financial Services industry.
Shaikh Abdulla is currently the Chairman of Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BEYON) Board of Directors, since June 2018, and Chairman of Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah).
In addition, he is a Board Member of The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and is Chairman of BTC Sure Group Company (UK). Shaikh Abdulla has also previously chaired the Board of SICO Investment Bank, served as Vice Chairman of The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) and has held Board positions in both financial and non-financial institutions. In December 2024, he was appointed as a member of the the Higher Authority for Hawar Islands Development and as a board member of Young Arab Leaders in Dubai, which aims to educate and empower the next generation of leaders in the Arab World.
Shaikh Abdulla holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from George Washington University, USA.
CEO, Crown Prince Foundation, Jordan
Tamam holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Exeter; a Master in City Planning degree with a focus on International Development and Regional Planning and bachelor degrees in Management Science and Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. More recently, Tamam completed the Advanced Finance Program under the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and an Executive Program focusing on Leadership with the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Tamam began her career as a member of the Jordan National Competitiveness Team at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. She then moved to the Jordan Agency for Enterprise and Investment Development, part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and later worked with the Greater Amman Municipality. Tamam also worked as a consultant to clients from the private and public sectors, as well as international donor agencies focusing on economic development and financial advisory services.
Today Tamam is the CEO of the Crown Prince Foundation, which works to fulfill the vision of “capable youth for an aspiring Jordan”. The Foundation serves more than 2 million youth across Jordan, focusing on the three main pathways: economic participation, leadership and sustainable development participation.
Mr. Alghanim received his BA in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University in 2002.
Mr. Alghanim currently holds the position of Board Member of Ahli United Bank – UK and Ahli United Bank – Egypt since 2023, Chairman of Ali Alghanim Sons Automotive Company (K.S.C.P) since 2018, Chairman of the Board Investment Committee of KFH since 2016 and member of the Board Executive Committee and the Board Audit and Compliance Committee since 2014, Chairman of Ali Mohammed Thunayan Alghanim and Sons Automotive Company W.L.L. since 2022, Vice Chairman of Aayan Leasing and Investment Company since 2022, Chairman of Global Auto Group BMW in Egypt since 2020, The Chairman of Auto Mobility LLC (Geely), Egypt since 2022, Vice Chairman of Ali Alghanim Sons Holding Company (K.S.C.C) since 2019, The Chairman of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club – London since August 2024 and Board Member of Young Arab Leaders, Dubai since December, 2024.
Additionally, he has been the Chairman of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company since 2022, Board Member of Kuwait Building Materials Manufacturing Company since 2004, Board Member and Treasurer of Kuwait Sports Club since 2007 and a member of the Kuwait Society of Engineers since 2003.
Mr. Alghanim has held many prominent leadership positions including the Chairman of the Merger Committee (Kuwait Finance House – Ahli United Bank) from 2018 to 2022, Chairman of Aayan Leasing and Investment Company from 2011 to 2022, Chairman of the Restructuring Committee at Aayan Leasing and Investment Company from 2010 to 2011, Vice Chairman of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company from 2011 to 2022, Chairman and CEO of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company from 2005 to 2011, Managing Director of Ali Mohammed Thunayan Alghanim and Sons Automotive Company W.L.L. from 2005 to 2022 and board member of the Representatives Board of World Agents of McLaren Automotive (representatives of the Middle East) from 2010 to 2015.
Mr. Alghanim has held Board Member positions in numerous local companies including the International Company for Electronic Payment (UPS) from 2005 to 2010 and AlOula Slaughterhouse Company from 2002 to 2006 and was CEO of Ali Alghanim and Sons Group of Companies in the contracting sector from 2002 to 2005.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC Chief Executive Officer
Nasser Fahad Al Khater is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, the innovative joint venture between the State of Qatar and FIFA that was launched in early 2019. He is also a senior adviser to the Secretary General’s Office of the Supreme
Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). He was responsible for leading all aspects of the planning and delivery of a historic tournament – the first to be held in the Middle East and Arab world – that welcomed over 1.4 million fans to Qatar.
In his role as CEO, Al Khater was charged with combining the extensive planning expertise Qatar built up since winning the hosting rights in 2010 with FIFA’s global tournament expertise to ensure an extraordinary FIFA World Cup™ experience for all fans, players and officials.
He was appointed to the Qatar 2022 Bid Committee in 2009, where he oversaw the media and the marketing campaigns that led to Qatar’s successful bid to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to the Arab world for the first time. Al Khater also held the titles of Chief of Experience and Tournament Readiness, Assistant Secretary General, Tournament Affairs, and Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the SC.
Before joining the Bid Committee in 2009, Al Khater worked with Qatari Government agencies to establish development strategies for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and on national leadership development programmes, which led to the establishment of Enterprise Qatar and the Qatar Leadership Centre.
Al Khater also has over five years’ experience in the Oil & Gas industry, having led Qatar Shell’s Intalaqa programme – an initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship for young Qatari nationals. This followed a five-year career working for the international finance giant HSBC.
Al Khater is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Chairman of Ali Alghanim Sons Automotive Co. in Kuwait
Mr. Alghanim received his BA in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University in 2002.
Mr. Alghanim currently holds the position of Board Member of Ahli United Bank – UK and Ahli United Bank – Egypt since 2023, Chairman of Ali Alghanim Sons Automotive Company (K.S.C.P) since 2018, Chairman of the Board Investment Committee of KFH since 2016 and member of the Board Executive Committee and the Board Audit and Compliance Committee since 2014, Chairman of Ali Mohammed Thunayan Alghanim and Sons Automotive Company W.L.L. since 2022, Vice Chairman of Aayan Leasing and Investment Company since 2022, Chairman of Global Auto Group BMW in Egypt since 2020, The Chairman of Auto Mobility LLC (Geely), Egypt since 2022, Vice Chairman of Ali Alghanim Sons Holding Company (K.S.C.C) since 2019, The Chairman of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club – London since August 2024 and Board Member of Young Arab Leaders, Dubai since December, 2024.
Additionally, he has been the Chairman of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company since 2022, Board Member of Kuwait Building Materials Manufacturing Company since 2004, Board Member and Treasurer of Kuwait Sports Club since 2007 and a member of the Kuwait Society of Engineers since 2003.
Mr. Alghanim has held many prominent leadership positions including the Chairman of the Merger Committee (Kuwait Finance House – Ahli United Bank) from 2018 to 2022, Chairman of Aayan Leasing and Investment Company from 2011 to 2022, Chairman of the Restructuring Committee at Aayan Leasing and Investment Company from 2010 to 2011, Vice Chairman of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company from 2011 to 2022, Chairman and CEO of Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicles Selling and Imports Company from 2005 to 2011, Managing Director of Ali Mohammed Thunayan Alghanim and Sons Automotive Company W.L.L. from 2005 to 2022 and board member of the Representatives Board of World Agents of McLaren Automotive (representatives of the Middle East) from 2010 to 2015.
Mr. Alghanim has held Board Member positions in numerous local companies including the International Company for Electronic Payment (UPS) from 2005 to 2010 and AlOula Slaughterhouse Company from 2002 to 2006 and was CEO of Ali Alghanim and Sons Group of Companies in the contracting sector from 2002 to 2005.
Founder, Mumzworld
Mona Ataya is a serial entrepreneur, Investor, Board member, United Nations Advocate, Public Speaker and mentor for entrepreneurs globally
As a transformational leader and a change agent, Mona has dedicated her career to pioneering transformational businesses that contribute to adressing important consumer need gaps while helping to shape the changing landscape to create lasting ecosystem impact.
She is the founder of Mumzworld, a pioneering and revolutionary e-commerce leader. Under her leadership, Mumzworld quickly became the largest, trusted and definitive source for all things mother & child, with the widest range of products, an engaged sticky community of millions of mothers, exclusive product offerings & delivery to over 20 different countries. Mumzworld is today the leading transactional & experiential e-commerce site for parents in MENA and an important, trusted gateway into the Middle Eastern household.
Mumzworld has been in hyper growth for the past 14 years and successfully anchored itself early on as the unrivaled regional leader in this vertical. With 6 rounds of funding & renowned investors, Mumzworld became the #1 Funded Women-Led e-commerce Company in the Middle East and consequently the first regional, homegrown woman led e-commerce company with an Exit.
Mona is also the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Bayt.com, the largest jobs board in the Arab world and co-founder Pharmaciaty.sa.
After the sale of Mumzworld and her strategic exit in Q1 2024, her journey continues with scaling Bayt.com and with the establishment of Digitise360 Advisors. This organization is her platform for continued creativity, contribution and impact where it matters most. She collaborates with public and private sector leaders to provide strategic and execution advisory and leadership development. She invests in scalable businesses and partners with ambitious startups and established enterprises to craft and execute bespoke strategies that redefine industry standards allowing them to expand their digital footprint.
Mona is deeply committed to the startup ecosystem and serves on multiple boards and is a United Nations alumni for UNCTAD, enabling women in developing countries digitally. She serves year round as an investor and a mentor to entrepreneurs and is a regular speaker at global and regional conferences.
Mona has won numerous recognitions throughout her career making it on the Forbes top 10 lists 6 years in a row. Most recently, she was ranked amongst the Forbes +50 leaders and voted as one of the 5 most Powerful Women Transforming the Business World in the Levant. She was voted among UAE’s Top 3 Most Prominent Women in the Tech World and the top 75 Faces of the UAE by HSBC and. She is amongst the top 2 Forbes women creating impact in the region, featured in Forbes Middle East as one of Middle East’s Power Businesswomen and as part of the second annual Forbes 50 over 50: EMEA. Mona was also voted amongst one of the 100 most Powerful Arab Women and World’s 100 Most Powerful Arabs – Generation Next – Arabian Business. She was also voted SME Executive of the Year 3 years in a row and one of the 30 Most Influential Women in the Arab World in 2019. Mona was also featured on New York’s Time Square with Nasdaq and Endeavor reflecting her multiplier impact as an entrepreneur.
رجل أعمالومؤسس شركة كربون القابضة المصرية
باسل الباز هو رئيس مجلس الإدارة والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة كاربون القابضة، وهي شركة بتروكيماويات رائدة تسعي إلى إحداث تطور صناعي في مصر.
تحت إدارته، أطلقت كاربون القابضة عدة مشاريع هامة، منها الشركة المصرية للهيدروكربون بهدف وضع مصر كدولة رائدة أفريقيًا في إنتاج نترات الأمونيوم المستخدمة في العديد من الصناعات التعدينية.
بدأت رحلة الباز الريادية خلال دراسته حيث وضع تصورًا لإنتاج الأمونيا السائلة، وقد نتج عن ذلك تأسيس الشركة المصرية للصناعات الأساسية (EBIC)، بتكلفة استثمارية بلغت 650 مليون دولار أمريكي، والتي أصبحت واحدة من أكبر شركات تصدير الأمونيا في العالم. بعد نجاح الشركة المصرية للصناعات الأساسية، قام بتأسيس شركة كاربون القابضة عام 2008، مما ساهم في تعزيز القدرات الصناعية لمصر.
طوال مسيرته المهنية، التزم الباز بالتطوير المستمر. وقد نالت مساهماته التقدير، كونه أول مصري يحصل على جائزة مبادرات الأعمال في إفريقيا عام 2016، وفي عام 2017 حاز على المركز الأول بين قادة الأعمال والاقتصاد الأفارقة الشباب.
باسل الباز عضو في مجلس الأعمال المصري – الأمريكي ، ومجلس الأعمال المصري – الإيطالي ، ومجلس الأعمال المصري – الكوري الجنوبي.
تخرج السيد الباز من جامعة هارفارد.
Managing Director, Daud Group
Sami Daud is an Omani entrepreneur and business leader with significant involvement in various sectors across the Middle East. He serves as the Managing Director of the Daud Group, a conglomerate based in Oman with operations extending across the GCC extending to India and the United Kingdom. The group’s diverse interests include retail, education, real estate, construction, trading, restaurants, franchising, oil and gas services, manufacturing, facility management, logistics, and industrial and infrastructure projects.
In addition to his role at Daud Group, Sami Daud is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Gourmet Gulf, a prominent food and beverage company in the region. Established in 2006, Gourmet Gulf holds exclusive development and franchise rights for several international dining brands, operating across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and Oman.
CEO, ZainCash
Yazen Altimimi is the Chief Executive Officer of ZainCash, a leading mobile wallet and digital payment provider that has been driving payment innovation and fostering a more digital economy in Iraq. Under his leadership, ZainCash has been recognized as GSMA’s most innovative payment solution in Humanitarian aid, and one of the Middle East’s top fintech companies by Forbes.
Altimimi has extensive experience in entrepreneurship, having founded multiple companies in e-commerce, alongside a strong background in strategy consulting. Altimimi holds an MBA degree from University of Toronto, and a Bachelor degree from McGill University. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Chief International Business Officer, Sela
With over 15 years of leadership at Sela, Ibrahim Mohtaseb has played a pivotal role in the company’s international growth and expansion strategy. As Chief International Business Officer, he is responsible for driving Sela’s global presence, forging strategic partnerships, and positioning the company as a leader in the sports, entertainment, and cultural industries.
Ibrahim began his career in the FMCG sector with Mars Inc. in the UAE in 2007, before transitioning to the sports industry, where he assumed a leading role in business development and digital transformation as Chief Business Development/Digital Officer. His expertise spans sales and marketing, branding, digital media strategy, event management, and commercial strategy formulation — all of which have contributed to his success in building high-impact, scalable business ventures.
As Sela diversified beyond sports into entertainment and culture, Ibrahim was appointed Head of Events, leading the procurement, execution, and delivery of the company’s most strategic events and intellectual properties (IPs). Under his leadership, Sela has produced some of the region’s most high-profile events, contributing to the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s global positioning in the sports and entertainment sectors.
Ibrahim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the American University of Sharjah, and a Master’s degree in Sports Management, Law, and Humanities from the prestigious FIFA Master Program — a globally recognized initiative that combines academic excellence with practical industry insight.
A native of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim brings a deep understanding of regional dynamics combined with a global outlook. He is passionate about innovation, strategic growth, and delivering world-class experiences.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, he is a dedicated family man, a father of three — Sarah, Basma, and Sultan — and values maintaining an active lifestyle, with a strong personal interest in sports and well-being.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at Carbon Holdings in Egypt
Basil El-Baz is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Holdings, a dynamic petrochemical company driving industrial innovation in Egypt. Under his leadership, Carbon Holdings has initiated significant projects, including Egypt Hydrocarbon Corporation poised to position Egypt as an African leader in Ammonium Nitrate production for the mining industry.
El-Baz’s entrepreneurial journey began during his studies where he conceptualised the production of anhydrous ammonia. This concept resulted in the establishment of Egypt Basic Industries Corporation (EBIC), a US$650 million production facility that became one of the world’s largest ammonia exporters. Following EBIC’s success, he founded Carbon Holdings in 2008, further advancing Egypt’s industrial capacity.
Throughout his career, El-Baz has been committed to sustainable industrial growth. His contributions have earned him recognition, including being the first Egyptian to receive the Africa Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2016 and in 2017 he was ranked in first place for young African business economic leaders.
Mr El-Baz is a member of the US-Egypt Business Council, the Italy-Egypt Business Council, and the South Korea-Egypt Business Council.
Mr El-Baz is a graduate of Harvard University.