Discover why Dubai is the best place to grow your business. Join us in partnership with Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy for an insightful webinar where we will explore the dynamics and synergies between the UAE and Eurasia tech talent sectors.
Learn about Dubai’s enhanced digital business infrastructure and strategy that supports the digital economy, as well as find out more about the attractive policies and business opportunities set in place to help your company succeed.
Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
DMCC
Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading free zone in 2022 with over 21,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 65,000 people.
Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2021, DMCC was named the ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record seven consecutive years.
Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working in 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project; the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai district.
Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).
The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the Kimberley Process for 2016.
Executive Director, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy
Khalid Rashed Al Jarwan Al Shamsi joined Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in 2022 as
Executive Director. Khalid oversees and manages major initiatives, projects and events that support the objectives of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s 2022-2024 strategy.
The Chamber works to enhance digital business infrastructure, attract global digital companies to Dubai and promote the emirate as a global capital of digital economy. He plays a crucial role in building the Chamber’s relationships with industry stakeholders and advocating for policies that support the growth of digital companies in Dubai.
Previously, he served as General Manager of Masharie, the venture capital arm of Dubai
Investments (2012-2021), where he handled partnerships, stakeholder relationships, financing, annual KPIs, and operations of subsidiaries, among other responsibilities.
Khalid held management roles at Union Properties, Dubai Investment Industries and Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company. Between 2013 and 2021, he served as chairman for various companies in Dubai such as Emirates Extrusions Factory, Folcra Beach Industrial Co, Gulf Dynamic Services, Gulf Dynamic Switchgear, Gulf Metal Craft, Labtec interiors, Drive Dubai and White Aluminium Extrusion. Between 2012 and 2021, he sat on the boards of Saudi American Glass Co., Dubai Investment Industries, Al Taif Investments, Lite-Tech Industries, Emirates Driving Institute, Saudi Driving School (Princess Noura University KSA), International Rubber Company, Techno Rubber Company, Union Properties and several subsidiary companies of Dubai Investments. Khalid holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tulsa University in the United States.
VP, People & Culture, AstroLabs
Ella Fordham joined the AstroLabs leadership team in 2022 and is the VP of People & Culture. She is responsible for talent acquisition, colleague experience, growth & development, organizational design, and total rewards.
Previously, Ella was a Senior Director at Careem, Head of HR for Hive, and has held various senior roles in FMCG and financial services firms in the UK.
CEO, Microavia
Alexey Lapirov is the CEO of Microavia, a company that engineers and manufactures drones and robotic drone stations.
With its recent move to Dubai, the company employs over 40 engineers and is located in Dubai Silicon Oasis — the heart of Dubai’s high-tech.
Alexey has over 15 years of experience in business and technology with a focus on building and managing strong multinational teams in IT and engineering.
CEO & Founder, iTalent, Career Lab of Alena Vladimirskaya
Alena Vladimirskaya is a Founder and CEO of iTalent company, a recruiting agency, recently opened in the UAE and sourcing companies with qualified candidates from Russia and Eastern Europe. In Russia, as a part of her Career Lab, Alena provides executive hunting, HR consulting, and business events’ organization services for 12 years, having a total experience in HR for 22 years. From 2022, Alena is a partner of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, sharing her vision of Eurasian opportunities with businesses in the UAE and MENA region.
Now Alena is the most popular headhunter in Eastern Europe, possessing a unique experience in working with IT, Digital & Innovative businesses and hiring many unique specialists in-demand. Extensive experience in event organization allows Alena to work closely with Russian entrepreneurs, aiding them in current entering new promising markets as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other countries.
Alena and her team have worked for top IT companies operating, recruiting, and organizing business events for Facebook, Microsoft, Booking.com, AirBnB, SAP, Oracle, and prominent local companies from various industries. In total, Alena’s entities have had more than 290 business clients with more than 1700 candidates were employed throughout the years of work.
Three times Alena has been marked in the Forbes top list of the most successful businesswomen in Russia, and she has fulfilled an exit of one of her start-ups for $5 million. In total Alena has raised $30 million of investment from business angels for her executive hunting businesses.
Alena possesses a total audience of 560,000 white collars and entrepreneurs working in Russia as her followers in well-known social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Telegram). Having a high level of professional expertise and experience on the market, Alena and her team, comprised of 29 experts, are ready to provide high-quality specialists from Russia, CIS, and Eastern Europe to MENA region, as well as attract new business clients, willing to relocate their businesses to the Arab market.
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE - ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE, DMCC
Bassel Bitar is the Regional Representative – Asia and Eastern Europe at DMCC, the world’s leading Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.
Joining DMCC as a Team Leader in 2015, Mohammed is responsible for promoting the benefits of doing business in Dubai and setting up companies in DMCC.
Prior to joining DMCC, Bassel held senior sales positions at both Etisalat Telecom and Emirates NBD in Dubai.
Bassel earned a Bachelor of Business administration degree in Hotel Management and tourism from the National American University in 2002.
