Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Distinguished business leaders from the Gulf and beyond will gather this Friday, 10 March, at the Park Hyatt, Dubai, for the inaugural Leading Forward conference.

The conference, organised by London Business School (LBS) and its Gulf Association, will bring together business leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, and industry experts from across the region to discuss key issues affecting business today. Prominent LBS alumni Ali Al Hashemi and His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi will give the two keynote addresses. 

Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yashat Group, will deliver the opening keynote on ‘Breaking Frontiers – Bringing the UAE to the Space Age’, while His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, will give the closing keynote on ‘Building Future Cities- A Government Perspective’.

A panel of accomplished business leaders - all LBS alumni - will discuss ‘Delivering Growth in Challenging Times – A C-Suite View’. Panelists include Ahmed Al Shirawi, Managing Director at Arcapita, Amina Taher, Vice President Brand Marketing & Sponsorships at Etihad, and Kamil Hilali, Chief Strategy Officer at Zain Global. Together, they will address the global challenges businesses face and explore how sustainable leadership can help organisations navigate future work landscapes. 

"We are thrilled to launch the inaugural Leading Forward conference in Dubai," said François Ortalo-Magné, Dean of LBS.

"This event brings together leading figures from the Gulf and the wider business community to connect, collaborate and learn in Dubai, a city recognized as a beacon of entrepreneurship and innovation in the Middle East. There has never been a more appropriate destination and opportune time for some of the most innovative and forward thinking minds in business to connect and examine the future of work.

“The outstanding achievements of our students and alumni from across the Middle East are a source of pride to London Business School. Their accomplishments are evident in this year’s incredibly strong conference lineup. Under the theme ‘Leading Forward’, the summit will address the issues that will shape the region’s economies in the coming years. From transformations in the workplace to digital transformations, our alumni experts will discuss the insights and perspectives businesses require to lead from the front and achieve enduring impact,” Dean François concluded.

The conference, anticipated to be annual, is open to members of the general public, particularly those with an interest in business. For more information and to register, please visit the ticketing website.

Keynote Addresses:

‘Breaking Frontiers – Bringing the UAE to the Space Age’ - Ali Al Hashemi, Chief Executive Office at Yahsat Group

‘Building Future Cities- A Government Perspective’ - His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport

Leadership Panel:       

‘Delivering Growth in Challenging Times – A C-Suite View’

  • Ahmed Al Shirawi, Managing Director at Arcapita
  • Amina Taher, Vice President Brand Marketing & Sponsorships at Etihad
  • Kamil Hilali, Chief Strategy Officer at Zain Global
  • Andrew Nichol, Partner at Lumina Capital (Moderator)

-Ends-

About London Business School:

London Business School's vision is to have a profound impact on the way the world does business and the way business impacts the world. The School is consistently ranked among the best business schools globally and is widely acknowledged as a centre for outstanding research. 

As well as its highly ranked degree programmes, the School offers exceptional Executive Education programmes to business leaders from around the world. 

London Business School has campuses in London and Dubai, and a presence in global business hubs like New York and Shanghai. The School equips its diverse student body with the tools needed to tackle today’s business challenges and connects them with many of the world’s leading thinkers. The School has more than 50,000 alumni working in over 156 countries. Together, they are a community defined by a wealth of knowledge, business experience and worldwide networking opportunities. 

London Business School’s boasts more than 160 core faculty members representing more than 30 countries. They cover seven subject areas: accounting, economics, finance, management science and operations, marketing, organisational behaviour, and strategy and entrepreneurship. 

About London Business School Gulf Association:

The London Business School Gulf Association is the community that brings together all London Business School alumni and students located in the Middle East or who have a special interest in networking in the region. Its more than 2,300 members participate in professional events and social activities alongside other universities in the region.

For media queries, please contact:
LBS@manaraglobal.com