Ahmed Bin Sulayem

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 international business district in 2025 with over 25,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 80,000 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 2023, DMCC was named ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record ninth consecutive year.

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 Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman 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 (KP) in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the KP for 2016. Mr Bin Sulayem was reappointed Chair of the KP for a historic second time in 2024, and has continued his leadership role with the position of Custodian Chair in 2025.

Dr. Ralf Seiz

Dr. Ralf Seiz is CEO and owner of Finreon AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Finpact AG. He is also a lecturer at the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and a member of several boards of directors and foundations. Dr. Seiz was an assistant professor at the University of St.Gallen (HSG), a visiting research scholar at New York University’s Stern School of Business, the founder and managing director of a consulting firm, and before that a business analyst in the financial services sector. Before he received his doctorate in Economics (Dr. oec. HSG), he completed his studies in Physics at ETH Zurich (MSc./Dipl. Phys. ETH) and worked at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva.

Dr. Ralf Seiz has many years of proven experience in the field of asset management, pension finance and mathematical finance. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Switzerland’s leading newspaper, ranked him among the most influential Swiss economists four years in a row between 2016 and 2019, reaching 8th place in 2018.

Belal Jassoma

Belal Jassoma is the Senior Director of Tech Ecosystems at DMCC, the world’s leading business district and authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.

Belal joined DMCC in 2011 and has been instrumental in scaling up DMCC’s ecosystems and commercial offering, including new products, services and member engagement programmes. In his current capacity as Director for Ecosystems, Belal is responsible for developing key strategic relationships, partnerships and product functions as well as overseeing ecosystem development across several of DMCC’s industry verticals such as crypto, gaming, AI, energy and financial services.

Belal holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah and brings over 18 years of experience in real estate, investment, and government administration.

Patrick Ghata

Patrick Ghata is the Associate Director - Financial Services at DMCC, overseeing the development of DMCC’s financial products and online trade solutions. A trade finance specialist, he drives strategic campaigns to promote Dubai as a leading international Islamic finance hub.

In addition to managing conventional financial products, much of his work is focused on enhancing DMCC’s Islamic finance solutions, including Commodity Murabaha and Salam.

Previously, Patrick led DMCC Tradeflow, where he played a pivotal role in expanding its financial capabilities and strengthening its position in commodity trade finance. He was part of the team that launched the successful DMCC Warehouse Inspection and Ratings Programme in 2013, an assessment procedure that certifies the authenticity and safety of storage operators registered in the DMCC Tradeflow network.

With more than 16 years of experience in international finance and trade, Patrick has held a range of senior positions at DMCC since joining the organisation in 2013. He also oversees the energy sector at DMCC and has been instrumental in the growth of the Energy Club.

Patrick holds a BFA degree from the American University in Dubai.