Manama, Bahrain: Edamah, the real estate arm of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the Kingdom of Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, has announced the appointment of Manal AlBayat as Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. AlBayat is an accomplished strategist with more than 25 years of international experience spanning business development, investment promotion, and real estate. She is also the first GCC national to assume a comprehensive end-to-end leadership role covering all stages of organizing mega global events. Her career includes successfully navigating complex challenges such as leading change management and restructuring projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most recently, Ms. AlBayat served as Chief Commercial and Engagement Officer at Expo City Dubai. She also played a pivotal role in Expo 2020 Dubai serving as a prominent member of the team responsible for securing Dubai’s candidacy, successful bid, as well as planning and delivering the region’s first World Expo. Prior to that, she served as Group CEO at Falcon and Associates, where she delivered strategic programmes to enhance Dubai’s global profile, in addition to holding senior leadership roles at Gulf International Bank in Bahrain and Bank One in the United States.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Khalid Abdulrahman Al Majed, CEO of Edamah, said: "We are pleased to welcome Ms. Manal AlBayat as Chief Operating Officer of Edamah. She brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of excellence in every role she has undertaken, which makes her a strong addition to our executive team. This appointment underscores our commitment to empowering Bahraini talent and supporting the Kingdom’s vision of enhancing professional opportunities for citizens. We are confident that Ms. AlBayat will play a pivotal role in advancing Edamah’s strategic objectives, in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030."

Ms. AlBayat expressed her gratitude to Edamah’s Chairman, Board of Directors, and Executive Management for their confidence, affirming her commitment to working collaboratively with the company’s team to achieve shared ambitions. She noted that her immediate focus will be on strengthening performance and operational efficiency across Edamah’s diverse portfolio, including property management, sales and leasing, commercial and administrative services, communications and marketing, information technology, strategy, and project management.

In addition to her new role, Ms. AlBayat serves on the Boards of the Bahrain Development Bank and the University of Wollongong in Dubai. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate from SDA Bocconi in Italy, holds a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University, and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University in Organizational Behavior & Leadership.

About Edamah

Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah) is the real-estate arm of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Incorporated in 2006 to manage and expand an assorted portfolio of real estate in Bahrain, Edamah has established itself as one of the Kingdom’s leading property developers. Committed to its founding principles of quality, efficiency and sustainability, and in line with the highest standards of transparency and corporate governance, Edamah strives to transform the Kingdom’s diverse and dynamic property sector. Edamah’s portfolio also includes projects in the leisure and entertainment and industrial sectors.