James Douglas Middle East

"𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵; 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴."  – 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳   The corporate landscape in the Middle East continues to shift, with major executive movements shaping industries across finance, technology, and investment.   These 10 appointments are in no particular order.   🔹 Dhafer Al Qasimi steps in as CEO of Silal, bringing his experience from ADQ. 🔹 Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi takes the helm as Chairman of Boursa Kuwait, while retaining his leadership at Zain Group KSA. 🔹 First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) makes strategic hires, welcoming Linos Lekkas and Omar Hafeez to key investment roles. 🔹 Sohar International, Lockton UAE, and SEDCO Capital promote internal leaders to top positions. 🔹 Murat Cagri Suzer joins Network International as Group CEO, leveraging his expertise from Brookfield Asset Management.   The corporate chessboard is always shifting - who’s making the next big move? Stay tuned for more updates. Dhafer Al Qasimi, Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Linos Lekkas, Omar Hafeez, Abdulwahid Al Murshidi, Arti Garg, Adeeb Al Naser, Abdulwahhab Abed MBA, Divyesh Vithlani, Murat Cagri Suzer #JDME #LeadershipMoves #ExecutiveTransitions #CorporateLeadership #MiddleEastBusiness

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘦: ‘𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵.’” – Sir John Marks Templeton Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) continue to dominate the global investment landscape, spearheading an industry-wide expansion that has pushed total assets under management globally to $12 trillion by the end of 2024 and is forecast to reach $18 trillion by 2030. Pivoting to Asia, Gulf SWFs invested $9.5bn into China in the year ending September 2024, with ADIA and KIA among the top 10 shareholders in Chinese A-Share listed firms. Gulf funds, which control approximately 40% of global SWF assets and represent six of the ten largest funds worldwide by Assets Under Management (AUM), are reshaping investment strategies amid increasing regional competition and evolving market dynamics. The total number of SWFs globally has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching approximately 160-170 funds. Five major players – the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, Saudi's Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) – continue to dominate activity in the region. Source: https://lnkd.in/djceSmrj Movers and Shakers Source: https://lnkd.in/dpt3_KH6 In a heavily cluttered world of information overload, JDME strives to bring in bite-sized trivia, to chew on. #JamesDouglasMiddleEast #Trendsandinsights #Perspectives

'Understanding net zero means you understand climate risk. There are no returns on a dead planet.' - 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘬. The 3 Ps of Sustainability - People, Process and Profit, often referred to as the Triple Bottom line has its fair share of adopters, wannabes and slackers globally. • Going by ESG global ranking 2024, Denmark scored the highest of 98.8 rating, followed by Finland at 97. • The UAE ranked 5th overall in Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development Index 2024, with their 4 pillars of environmental, economic, social and cultural. • While ESG and sustainability are closely related concepts, they do have distinct focus areas and implications of governance. • DP World has become the first company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to issue a Blue Bond, raising $100 million for sustainable maritime and water-focused projects. There is so much clutter to consume, absorb and reflect as information in this space. James Douglas Middle East endeavors to curate bite sized ESG trivia, that you might find edible. #Sustainability #ESG #NetZero #ClimateRisk #GreenFinance #SustainableGrowth

As per IMARC study, the Middle East Fintech market size was valued at 1.58 bn USD in 2024 and expected to reach 3.69 bn USD by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.65% from 2025-2033. Positive headwinds for the growing interest in Fintech stems from: • AI Investment (with KSA's approval 40 bn USD fund and UAE as the hottest hub, with an AI Minister since 2017 and throbbing VC activity) • Data center market growing exponentially to feed AI growth • Regulations around AI, Data privacy laws and crypto frameworks. • Blockchain technology • Growing interest in payment & fund transfer, loans, insurance, wealth management. • Digital transformation wave across banking, insurance, securities and other tech industries There is so much happening in Fintech that if it often difficult to keep pace, with all the news and hues. JDME's endeavor to have bite sized bytes every week, is an effort towards this direction. Movers & Shakers Source: https://lnkd.in/dhTGqjpw #JDME #Innovation #Fintech #Top10 #moversandshakers

🌙 Ramadan Kareem Wishing you all blessed and peaceful Ramadan. May this holy month bring prosperity, happiness, and spiritual fulfillment. #RamadanKareem #RamadanMubarak #Blessings #JDME

Wishing you a Christmas filled with joy, gratitude, and inspiration. May this season bring success, new opportunities, and fresh beginnings for the year ahead. Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear!! #JDME #Festival #NewOpportunities #NewYear

Happy UAE National Day!! We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the UAE on this momentous occasion. Today, we honor the nation’s remarkable journey of unity, progress, and visionary leadership. "The union is the source of our strength." – Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan May this day inspire continued success, innovation, and prosperity for all. #UAENationalDay #SpiritOfTheUnion #ProgressAndUnity #JDME

🌟 Exciting Opportunities in Senior Leadership Roles! 🌟 Exclusive clients have mandated us to scout for top-tier leaders for the CXO suite & senior leadership mandates across MENA, UK, and Asia, across domains including Banking, Fintech, Real Estate, Renewable energy, Mining, and Maritime. Please engage with us to explore the synergies further, we would love to hear from you. 💼 Follow our page to stay updated on the market insights, and exclusive job opportunities in your field. Let’s shape the future together! 🚀 #JDME #SeniorLeadership #JobOpportunities #BankingCareers #TechLeaders #RealEstateRoles #UAEJobs #UKJobs #ExecutiveSearch

Happy Diwali! Wishing everyone a season filled with joy, prosperity, and new opportunities. May the lights of Diwali illuminate our paths and strengthen our connections. #Diwali #FestivalOfLights #Networking #JDME