AmCham Abu Dhabi Roundtable Summit

Event Details

Join the AmCham Abu Dhabi for our most important business event of the year and let your voice be heard among industry leaders.

Audience

Over 200 key American Industry and government leaders from across Abu Dhabi's and UAE's commercial spectrum; a special focus on our key Industry sectors of Defense/Aerospace, Energy, and Healthcare. All GCC AmCham members are also invited, pending any travel regulations.

Purpose

AmCham Abu Dhabi's Annual Roundtable Summit delegates come together to candidly discuss business opportunities and challenges, identify key concerns and issues, and discuss solutions and ways forward not only for the Recovery Phase, but long-term sustainability and success.

Through this dialogue, delegates identify specific business practices, laws, and government policies that can realistically be acted upon, in order to further the goals of increasing foreign direct investment in the U.A.E., enhancing U.A.E.-U.S. commercial relations, and ultimately assisting the UAE in achieving the development plans set forth in The UAE Vision 2021, The Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and ultimately, Vision 2071.

Agenda

September 30, 2021

Main Schedule

09:00 - 09:30

Networking & Light Breakfast

09:30 - 09:35

Opening Remarks

CEO, Liz Beneski & RTS Committee Chair Mrs. Kim Schofield

Mrs. Kim Schofield - Hjelseth

09:35 - 09:55

A View From the UAE: Opening Keynote Address

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri

09:55 - 10:00

Video Message

H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America U.A.E. Embassy, Washington D.C.

H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba

10:00 - 10:10

Keynote Address

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi

10:10 - 10:20

Address by ADCCI (Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

H.E. Dr. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Aldhaheri, First Vice Chairman, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry

H.E. Dr. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Aldhaheri

10:20 - 10:50

Digitization in the Supply Chain: Abu Dhabi Ports ATLP (Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform)

Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri, CEO, Maqta Gateway | Head of Digital Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports

Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri

10:50 - 11:00

Coffee Break

10 minutes

11:00 - 11:45

Partnership in Crisis: Navigating a Pandemic to Launch the Future - Panel 1

Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji, PT, DPT

Ms. Marzena Kulis

Mr. Glenn Zirbser

Mr. Mazen Takhah

Mr. Ayman Mokhtar

11:45 - 12:30

Opportunities in The Next 50: An Overview of Investment and Collaboration in the Space, Healthcare, & Tech Sectors - Panel 2

H.E. Faisal Al Bannai

Mr. Musabbeh Al Kaabi

Mr. Mamoon Sbeih

12:30 - 13:00

Intermission - Coffee/Lunch

Lunch box collection

13:00 - 14:55

3 Tracks

Please click the below links for more information and speakers in the breakout rooms.

Dr. Nancy W. Gleason, PhD

Dr. Arthur Morrish

Mr. Mark Gilligan

Mr. Iftekhar Haque

Mr. Charles Laubach (Moderator)

Mr. John McGowan

Track 1 Defense, Aerospace and Cybersecurity Breakout Meeting.pdf

Track 2 Energy - Oil & Gas Breakout Meeting.pdf

14:55 - 15:10

Closing Comments in main session chamber

AmCham Abu Dhabi Chairman Mr. Jay Huston

Mr. Jay Huston

15:10 - 16:00

Coffee / Networking and Event Concludes

Speakers

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri

UAE Minister of Economy at UAE Ministry of Economy

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi

Chairman at Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED)

H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba

Ambassador at Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

H.E. Dr. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Aldhaheri

First Vice Chairman at Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry

H.E. Faisal Al Bannai

Secretary General at Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC)

Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri

Chief Executive Officer at Maqta Gateway, Head of Digital Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports

Dr. Nancy W. Gleason, PhD

Director of the Hilary Ballon Center for Teaching and Learning, Associate Professor of Practice in Political Science at New York University Abu Dhabi

Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji, PT, DPT

Institute Director, Medical Operations of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Arthur Morrish

Chief Executive Officer at Technology Innovation Institute

Ms. Marzena Kulis

Managing Director, Medical Devices, Middle East of Johnson & Johnson

Mrs. Kim Schofield - Hjelseth

Managing Partner and Founder of O2k

Mr. Musabbeh Al Kaabi

Chief Executive Officer, UAE Investments at Mubadala

Mr. Glenn Zirbser

Chief Financial Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Mr. Mazen Takhah

Director Government Affairs & Policy of Johnson & Johnson Middle East

Mr. Ayman Mokhtar

Regional President Middle East, Turkey and Levant at Viatris

Mr. Mark Gilligan

Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Mr. Iftekhar Haque

Practice Leader at Fragomen

Mr. Jay Huston

Lead for Effectors at Raytheon Emirates Ltd.

Mr. Charles Laubach (Moderator)

Partner at Afridi & Angell

Mr. John McGowan

Legal Counsel and Founder of JPM Legal Advisors Worldwide Ltd

Mr. Mamoon Sbeih

President at APCO Worldwide

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the new government structure approved in July 2020.

He is chairman of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)و the General Civil Aviation Authority, UAE International Investors Council, and CSR UAE Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Prior to his appointment, H.E. Al Marri held important positions in the government as a senior, top-ranking official. He was the Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet since 2017, during which he was instrumental in strengthening the interdependence between the federal and local governments. In this role, he also spearheaded many initiatives to get the pulse of the people and know their sentiments, as well as build the UAE’s long-lasting relations with international organizations such as the World Economic Forum.

H.E. is also the former Director General of the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was part of the high-profile team that was behind the launch of ‘Area 2071,’ the nucleus of the future envisioned in the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. Furthermore, the UAE Minister of Economy, in his previous post, took part in the unveiling of the Hatta Economic Zone development project and the relaunching of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

In addition, he was the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, enabling him to play a vital role in the successful launch of Dubai 10X and other initiatives of national importance. The Dubai 10X initiative, in particular, aims to strengthen the emirate’s bid to become the city of the future.

H.E. Al Marri is a member of the Boards of Directors of different federal entities. His memberships allow him to actively support the development of priority sectors in the country such as the Golden Visa initiative, which seeks to attract talented individuals from across the world.

The UAE Minister of Economy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Sheffield in the UK. Also, he is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program and Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi is a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). His wealth of management experience in the private sector combined with his distinguished and dynamic leadership style have placed him in a unique position to actively contribute to the Emirate’s economic success.

His Excellency is one of the outstanding national figures recognized for his outstanding success, professional intelligence and dedication to the homeland.This is reflected in his high educational background and keenness to join institutions that reflect his interests. He holds an MBA from the London Business School and certificates from prestigious international institutions, including MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Citibank Global Asset Management, Harvard Business School in addition to the senior executive leadership program of the University of Harvard.

H.E. Al Shorafa is currently the head of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) - an ADDED affiliate, Chairman of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), Chairman of Hub71 – a key initiative of the Abu Dhabi Government’s development accelerators program, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Chairman of Free Zones Council - Abu Dhabi, Chairman of the Board of Etihad Aviation Group, and board member of the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

The organizations, where H.E. is involved, are contributing to the economic growth of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In view of his many significant accomplishments, H.E. Al Shorafa was named by Arabian Business, in partnership with Bombardier, as one of the world’s most powerful Arabs in the years 2019 and 2021.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai is Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council that was established to shape Abu Dhabi into a world-leading research hub and desired location for global advanced technology talent. Leveraging high-impact R&D in the advanced technology domain, Al Bannai plays an instrumental role in building Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s knowledge economy and in reinforcing its position as a research and development hub and one of the next global leaders in breakthrough technologies.

He is a member of the Emirates Research and Development Council headed by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, that was constituted in September 2021 to accelerate R & D efforts in the country.

Al Bannai is also CEO & Managing Director of EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond. In addition, he is a Member of the Board of Trustees for Khalifa University of Science and Technology, a world-class research institution that nurtures critical thinkers in applied science and engineering, as well as a Member of the Council of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), the nation’s flagship university which aspires to be a research-intensive institution.

Earlier in his career, Al Bannai founded DarkMatter, a global cyber security service provider, which he expanded into a US$400 million business. Prior to this, he founded Axiom Telecom, the largest distributor of mobile devices in the Middle East, with an annual turnover of US$2.5 billion.

He has received several accolades, the most notable being the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Al Bannai was also recognised as the Technology Business Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards (2017). He joined the Arabian Business’ 100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East ranking (2018) as well as the elite Gulf Business Arab Power List (2018, 2019). Most recently, he ranked number 20 on Forbes’s Top CEOs in the Middle East 2021 list and was also cited in the Arabian Business’ Arab Power List for 2021.

Al Bannai holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Boston University in the US and a master’s degree in Shipping Trade and Finance from City University in the UK.

Nancy W. Gleason, PhD is the Director of the Hilary Ballon Center for Teaching and Learning and an Associate Professor of Practice in Political Science at New York University Abu Dhabi. Her research focuses on the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s impact on higher education, and the future of work. She considers societal impacts of education, employment disruption, continuous reskilling, and the role of industry in supporting upskilling of adults. She is the editor of Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Springer, 2018). She is the co-editor, Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education: Lessons from Across Asia (Palgrave March 2020). Dr. Gleason holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. MSc from London School of Economics, and a BA from George Washington University. @NWGleason

Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji serves as Senior Medical Operations Director at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of the Mubadala Health network serving to transform the regional
healthcare landscape.

Dr. AlKhazraji is a Board Director of AmCham Abu Dhabi, and co-chair of the Healthcare Committee. He also represents the UAE on the Steering Committee of the UAE Centre of Johns Hopkins’Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute. Through these appointments he has broadened U.S.-U.A.E. relationships to help realize the full potential of the Abu Dhabi healthcare sector.

A doctoral-trained and experienced clinician, he has held various leadership roles in his career during which he was instrumental member of the teams that brought world-leading surgical
and therapeutic care, for the first time, to the citizens and residents of the U.A.E. He has also been selected as an expert panel member for multiple Abu Dhabi healthcare policies. He is
passionate about furthering the national goal of achieving a world-class healthcare system and reducing patients’ need to travel abroad for treatment.

Dr. AlKhazraji received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California, and his undergraduate degree from Marquette University. He holds an Executive Certification from Columbia Business School and is also a graduate of the UAE Government Executive Leaders Program with Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, as one of a group of hand-picked Emarati executive leaders tasked with helping drive the UAE towards its centennial 2071 vision.

In 2019, Marzena was appointed as the Managing Director for Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices in the Middle East, following her three-year stint as Managing Director for Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices’ US$250 million business in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Marzena has been with Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices since 2013. She has previously managed the Company’s DePuySynthes (Orthopedics) and Ethicon (Surgery) franchises in Poland and Baltics.

Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Marzena led Pfizer country organizations in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegowina and, earlier, Market Access & Government Affairs team and CV/Respiratory Business Unit in Poland. Before joining the corporate sector, Marzena worked for several years in the World Bank on projects related to healthcare systems and reforms in Poland, Baltics and Balkans. She was also involved in research and academic work, having authored or co-authored numerous publications on subjects related to public health and healthcare systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Marzena is a graduate of the University of Economics in Kraków and Stockholm University’s School of Business. She has also completed post-graduate programs at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, USA, and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege, Belgium, as well as numerous personal development management and leadership trainings.

Musabbeh is the Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala’s UAE Investments platform. The platform contributes to the acceleration of the UAE’s economic transformation, and investing in national world class champions, fostering vibrant industrial and commercial clusters, and partnering with world-class global entities.

Prior to his current role, Musabbeh was responsible for the company’s substantial international energy portfolio as CEO of the Petroleum & Petrochemicals platform from 2017 to 2020. As CEO, Musabbeh oversaw an integrated energy portfolio of investments valued in excess of $40 billion USD with over 10 asset companies operating along the value chain.

He also served the Group as CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, Mubadala’s wholly owned exploration and Production Company, from 2014 to 2017. During his tenure, he successfully led the company through a challenging period of declining commodity prices, locking in significant cost efficiencies and operational improvements whilst high grading the portfolio to focus on value-adding assets and maintaining an exemplary health and safety record. He joined Mubadala Petroleum in 2013 as Chief Growth Officer, responsible for new business development, mergers & acquisitions and exploration.

Musabbeh began his career at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) where he spent 16 years during which he held a series of increasingly senior technical and managerial roles, rising to lead ADNOC’s Exploration Division. In 2005, he had a cross posting with Shell in the Netherlands where he joined as a Geophysicist for a year.

Musabbeh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geophysical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and a Master of Sciences in Petroleum Geoscience from Imperial College, London.

Board Positions: Chairman of Mubadala Petroleum & Yahsat, He is also the Vice Chairman of Borealis, Masdar, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi & Mubadala Health. He is also board member of Dolphin Energy, Cespa, Nova Chemicals, and Emirates Global Aluminum.

Glenn Zirbser is the Chief Financial Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of Mubadala Health. In this role, he is responsible for the commercial oversight of the institution, ensuring its efficiency and growth through robust resource management principles and sound corporate governance policies.

Glenn brings more than 27 years of expertise to his role at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, having held a range of senior positions in operations, consulting, and management. He has a demonstrated track record in growing clinical service lines through strategic investment and enhanced patient access.

Previously, Glenn served as Senior Vice President and Regional Chief Financial Officer at Jefferson Health, a regional academic health system composed of 11 hospitals and multi-specialty physician enterprises. He has also held similar roles at Princeton HealthCare System and Inova Health System.

Mazen Takhah is the Director of Government Affairs & Policy cross sector for Saudi Arabia, which includes Consumer, Pharma and Medical. He assumed this position as of August 1st 2017. Mazen joins Johnson & Johnson with over 20 years’ experience in senior executive roles in Consumer Health, Pharmaceuticals, Investment Banking & Aviation.

In his last role, Mazen was the General Manager of SCP (Saudi Center for Pharmaceuticals) a leading healthcare company that is focused on sales and marketing of high quality nutritionals and pharmaceuticals, and prior to that Group Director of Investments and Corporate Communication at Banaja Holdings. Mazen held other roles in the Investment Banking sector including VP of Private Banking at Credit Suisse and Senior Dealer in Treasury Corporate Services at Banque AlSaudi AlFransi. Mazen successfully lead multiple high-profile investment projects alongside the Saudi Government and managed very high-profile stakeholders.

Mazen Holds a B.S. in Biology from University of Missouri-Columbia USA, B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, B.S. in Aviation Management and a B.A. Aviation Engineering Technology from St. Louis University USA.

Mr. Ayman Mokhtar is Viatris Regional President for the Middle East, Turkey & Levant Region.

Viatris is the global healthcare company formed in November 2020 through the combination of Mylan and Upjohn, a legacy division of Pfizer. Viatris empowers people to live healthier at every stage of life. Viatris portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases. https://www.viatris.com/en

With more than twenty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Mokhtar is an executive with a broad international experience having held strategic positions within multinational companies and lead regional operations covering the Middle East and Africa. His most recent roles have been Regional Strategy Lead for Africa and the Middle East at Pfizer and General Manager GCC Countries for Upjohn a division of Pfizer.

Mr. Mokhtar has a passion for improving patient access to medications through innovative approaches, connecting stakeholders on common goals and driving meaningful partnerships. In his active external engagement as board member of several trade associations in the Middle East Region, he strongly advocates for the importance of collective efforts to optimize healthcare services and healthcare delivery in the Region. He has been able to forge several public private partnerships in research, awareness, patient access across the region, notably in the UAE.

Mr. Mokhtar holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Cairo University in Egypt. He has completed several business studies and executive programs the latest being “the Advanced Management Program Global Experience, International Business” at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Mr. Mokhtar lives in the United Arab Emirates with his family.

Charles has lived in the UAE since 1986, both in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai. He is seeking reelection to the Board of Directors of AmCham Abu Dhabi, where he serves as Secretary.

Charles’s law firm, Afridi & Angell, was a founding member of AmCham Abu Dhabi, which formally organized in 1990 and was formally recognized by the Abu Dhabi government in 1996. Charles served as that AmCham’s first chairman, and thereafter served on the Board of Directors for several years. Charles is one of only 5 recipients of the Ambassador’s award, which Ambassador David Litt awarded to Charles in 1996 in recognition of his leadership role in support of American business interests and in the formation of
AmCham Abu Dhabi. In addition, Charles has been a member of AmCham Dubai since its establishment in 1986. He has served on two occasions as its Vice President Legal Affairs and Secretary. Charles is a partner in the law firm of Afridi & Angell, a Corporate Member and Corporate Founder member of AmCham. He holds a J.D. and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and a B.A. from Dartmouth. Charles looks forward to another year working with the other members of the Board and with the AmCham membership.