UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HH SHEIKH SAUD BIN SAQR AL QASIMI, UAE SUPREME COUNCIL MEMBER AND RULER OF RAS AL KHAIMAH

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Advisory Board

Meet the esteemed members of our advisory board who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to guide the RAK Energy Summit 2024 towards achieving its goals of sustainability and innovation.

HE Eng. AHMED MOHAMED AL KAABI

Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Water and Future Energy Sector - UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure

Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Water and Future Energy Sector, UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry. Prior to this role, he held several postions at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Comany (ADNOC), including the Manager of ADNOC Singapore Office, Sales Coordinator in Crude and Condensate Division, and Sales Coordinator in Middle Distillate Products. In addition to his current responsibilities, his Excellency Al Kaabi was a board member in the Arab Petroleum Services Co and the Arab Drilling

and Workover Company. chairman of OPEC Auditing Committee, member of the International Pollution Compensation Fund in London, and the UAF’s Govermor of OPEC and UAE executive Memeber at GECF and IEF

Throughout his career, His Excellency Al Kaabi has contributed to several key projects, including the auto-reconciliation, cash call, e-payment, and gasoline and diesel de-regulation.

His Excellency Al Kaabi holds a master’s degree in Petroleum Economics Management from the French Institute of Petroleum (IFP) and a bachelor’s degree in 2002 from Gonzaga University, USA.

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HE Esmaeel Hassan AlBlooshi

Director General - Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority

H.E. Eng. Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi serves as the Director General of the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Transport Authority, where he has significantly contributed to the advancement of the emirate’s transportation infrastructure. Under his visionary leadership, the RAK Transport Authority has launched several groundbreaking projects, establishing a model for modern and efficient transport systems in the region.

As a distinguished member of the UITP Board Policy and a board member of RAK International Airport, Eng. Al Blooshi plays a pivotal role in shaping transportation policies and strategic initiatives. His expertise is further leveraged as a member of numerous strategic committees and companies within Ras Al Khaimah, where he provides invaluable insights and guidance.
Throughout his tenure, Eng. Al Blooshi has spearheaded various innovative projects that have transformed RAK’s transportation landscape. Notable among these is the establishment of the public bus project in RAK, which has greatly enhanced public mobility. He has also championed the integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and smart solutions for buses, along with the implementation of AI and smart cameras in taxis, reflecting his commitment to leveraging technology for improved service delivery.
A staunch advocate for green mobility, Eng. Al Blooshi has been instrumental in developing comprehensive plans for Green mobility strategy for RAK. It includes many initiatives such as; the distribution of electric vehicles (EVs) and the adoption of other green technologies. His efforts have led to the successful establishment of EV taxis in RAK, marking a significant step towards sustainable transportation solutions. These initiatives underscore his dedication to environmental sustainability and his vision for a greener future.
Eng. Al Blooshi’s academic credentials are a testament to his commitment to excellence and continuous learning. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the University of Wollongong, a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the American University of Sharjah, and a Higher Diploma in Sport Management from Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi. His educational background is complemented by a plethora of professional certificates, underscoring his dedication to staying at the forefront of industry developments.

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HE Khaled Fadel AlAli

Director General - Public Services Department (PSD)

His Excellency Eng. Khaled Fadel AlAli has an experience of more than 17 years in the field of design and build telecom infra in mega project in Dubai. He has Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Etisalat College – United Arab Emirates 2004.
His Excellency held the position of Director General of Public Services Department in Ras Al Khaimah in 2022. AlAli previously had managed mega projects in one of the largest companies in the United Arab Emirates,

the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation / Etisalat, and he had a significant and prominent impact on the growth of telecommunications sector in terms of managing mega projects in the field of infrastructure services. His career was crowned with great success through the implementation of these projects.

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HE Munther Mohammed bin Shekar Al Zaabi

Director General - Ras Al Khaimah Municipality

His Excellency Munther Mohammed bin Shekar is the Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality since 2014. Under his leadership, the Municipality has undergone an important transformation towards digitisation and smart services, has achieved higher integration of its departments and has expanded its scope into the field of energy sustainability. In order to ensure the most advanced municipal services to residents and businesses,

Munther made significant steps towards strengthening and developing cooperation avenues with other leading entities in the government and the private sector.

Before joining the Municipality, Munther took senior management positions at Etisalat, Emirates Post and in the Office of the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. His areas of responsibility in those positions included customer service, logistic operations and corporate communications respectively.

Munther is a graduate from the College of Literature, and believes in the principles of teamwork, creativity and continuous improvement.

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HE Raki Phillips

Chief Executive Officer - Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) since June 2019, brings a wealth of industry experience to aid the continued growth of Ras Al Khaimah as one of the fastest growing destinations in the world.
Phillips joins RAKTDA from the Dubai based International Hospitality Consulting Group INHOCO, where he was Senior Partner and Senior Vice President of Development, responsible for hotel project pipelines exceeding $5 billion in assets.

He is also the co-founder and CEO of SugarMoo Desserts, Dubai’s first online dessert delivery bakery and co-founder of Earth Hotels, a sustainable, tech-forward and design centric hotel concept.

Phillips, an American national and a fluent Arabic speaker, has a great understanding of the region having worked in the Middle East since 2005 and specifically in the UAE since 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA in Organizational Management.

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HE Yousif Al Ali

Chief Executive Officer - Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE)

Eng. Yousif Al Ali is the CEO of Etihad Water & Electricity, who is contributing to the continued growth and success of the energy and utility sector in the UAE by initiating integrated strategies and bringing diverse leadership perspectives into the sector’s policies and initiatives, as well as coordinating efforts to achieve the UAE’s 2050 energy vision. With a career spanning over 20 years in the energy and petrochemical industries,

Yousif Al Ali is also a the Chairman of Naqaa Desalination Plant. He has extensive and distinguished practical experience in the areas of investment, engineering, planning, and strategic project management.

Prior to joining EtihadWE, Yousif Al Ali took up leadership positions across several entities in the energy sector, including as the Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Water & Future Energy Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and as the Executive Director of Masdar Clean Energy Unit, where he led several departments including investment, asset management and operations for local and global large-scale renewable energy projects.

Yousif Al Ali holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from IE Business School in Madrid, a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from UAE University, in addition to being a Certified Professional in Project Management.

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Andrea Di Gregorio

Executive Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office - Ras Al Khaimah Municipality

Andrea Di Gregorio is the Executive Director at the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem) of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, UAE, with the mandate to support the development of the Emirate towards lower energy intensity and a higher share of renewables in the generation mix. He has more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector in Europe and the Middle East, where he supported governments,

oil & gas majors and leading utilities in the fields of strategy, operations improvement and energy efficiency.

Prior to joining Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Andrea Di Gregorio supported the activation of the Dubai Demand Side Management strategy as a PMO Director at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, UAE, and as a Director of Strategy and Continuous Improvement at TAQATI, UAE. Previously, he worked as a strategy consultant at Booz & Company and Oliver Wyman, and as a Business Unit Director at Bertelsmann.

He holds an MSc. summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and an MBA from SDA Bocconi, Milan.

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Anthony O'Sullivan

UAE Country Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Middle East

Anthony is a graduate of Dublin City University and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant in England and Wales. He moved to the UAE in 1998 and has advised Governments and in particular Sovereign Wealth Funds on policy and operational matters in addition to serving a number of family groups and listed Companies. He has a particular passion for Emiratisation and sustainability issues

and led EY’s initiatives at COP28 where they were a strategic partner to the COP Presidency.

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Chris Wood

Chief Executive Officer, Rak Gas & Chief Executive, RAK Petroleum Authority

Chris joined RAK Gas in April 2022 to lead the Company’s transformation into a broader Energy Company that creates sustainable value for its shareholders and the communities where it operates.
RAK Gas is a state-owned entity with exploration and production interests in the UAE and East Africa. The Downstream Business provides energy to large businesses and is the leading gas supplier in the Emirate.

Chris also serves as the Chief Executive of the RAK Petroleum Authority, the Government entity that regulates the petroleum sector in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Chris has spent over 27 years bringing value to commodity and supply chain companies worldwide. As Managing Director, Chris successfully led the turnaround of the Uniper-owned refinery and trading business in the Middle East. Before Uniper, Chris worked for PetroChina International based in London, where he grew their Downstream Business. Chris spent ten years at INEOS, holding various senior commercial roles. He kicked off their LPG Project, restructured supply chains, and established their Energy Trading Business. Chris has also held commercial roles in P&O, Orica, Rio Tinto, and CS Energy.

As an accomplished Senior Manager, Chris has experience optimizing organizations, growing businesses, leading asset operations, structuring transactions, and managing Government & Investor relations. Before moving to Dubai, he worked in Switzerland, the UK, South Africa, and Australia.

Chris holds a Master of Business and Technology from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

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Cornelius Matthes

Chief Executive Officer, Dii Desert Energy

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several leading renewable energy organisations and associations via pro bono work as well as different startup companies.

By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as “Solar Pioneer 2015” for the Middle East, he is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian.

ompany’s transformation into a broader Energy Company that creates sustainable value for its shareholders and the communities where it operates. RAK Gas is a state-owned entity with exploration and production interests in the UAE and East Africa. The Downstream Business provides energy to large businesses and is the leading gas supplier in the Emirate.

Chris also serves as the Chief Executive of the RAK Petroleum Authority, the Government entity that regulates the petroleum sector in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Chris has spent over 27 years bringing value to commodity and supply chain companies worldwide. As Managing Director, Chris successfully led the turnaround of the Uniper-owned refinery and trading business in the Middle East. Before Uniper, Chris worked for PetroChina International based in London, where he grew their Downstream Business. Chris spent ten years at INEOS, holding various senior commercial roles. He kicked off their LPG Project, restructured supply chains, and established their Energy Trading Business. Chris has also held commercial roles in P&O, Orica, Rio Tinto, and CS Energy.

As an accomplished Senior Manager, Chris has experience optimizing organizations, growing businesses, leading asset operations, structuring transactions, and managing Government & Investor relations. Before moving to Dubai, he worked in Switzerland, the UK, South Africa, and Australia.

Chris holds a Master of Business and Technology from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

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Faisal Rashid

Senior Director - Demand Side Management, Dubai Supreme Council Of Energy

Faisal Ali Al Rashid, U.A.E national, a degree holder of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering-Dayton, Ohio university, U.S.A 1991. Also, a certified PMP-USA. Earn professional certificate in policy making from LSE-UK. Has a solid experience in energy management including supply and demand. Has strong background in process industrial plant including oil & gas, power & water generation process, material handling process.

Mr. Al Rashid has been frequent speaker and active participant at various local and international energy related events. He has published numerous articles on energy management and sustainability topics. He currently holds a position of Senior DSM Director in Dubai Supreme Council of Energy looking after the whole energy demand management spectrum of emirate of Dubai. He has contributed to the success of DSM programs, DSM strategy activation, energy consumption reduction and energy efficiency policy structure in Dubai. He is also a chairman of a newly launched platform Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team with the objective of accelerating decarbonization of cities in the UAE. Served previously in oil and gas industry for 16 years as project division manager/Project Executive, handled mega feed and EPC projects and worked as general manager in glass manufacturing firm for 3 years.

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Graeme Sims

Director, GLS Advisory

Graeme Sims is an advisor to regulators, governments and firms on the regulation of utilities in the energy and water sectors. An economist by background he has over thirty years’ experience of those industries gained in the UK and UAE. In the early ‘90s Graeme was Deputy Director General at the UK’s Office of Electricity Regulation where he was responsible for the electricity industry in Scotland.

From there he moved to Abu Dhabi to establish the emirate’s water and electricity regulatory body, acting as its first Director General. On his return to the UK he joined United Utilities, a FTSE100 utility company, serving as its Regulation Director and sitting on the board of United Utilities’ water business. He then acted as Executive Director of Dubai’s Electricity and Water Regulator, the RSB, for 11 years. Graeme is a graduate of Oxford University and began his career with the Boston Consulting Group.

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Michael Arthurs

Managing Director – UAE Carbon Removal Breakthrough Coalition, Bridge Institute

Michael Arthurs has 25+ years of experience managing and providing international energy, mining and agriculture companies with operational, commercial and sustainable industrial solutions. He is currently the Managing Director of the UAE Carbon Removal Breakthrough Coalition and a Director of a hydrogen and CCUS company in Canada. Michael has been the MENA Business Development Director for a multi-national biotech firm,

commercial head of a large Middle East National Oil Company, Project Manager & Advisor for shale gas projects, national head of Business Development for a large midstream company and involved in the start up of industrial water recycling, air emissions, sustainability and low carbon fuel companies. Michael’s designations include Practitioner from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), an MSc in Environmental Management for Business from Cranfield University, a BComm in Petroleum Land Management from The University of Calgary and course work in Circular Economy from Cambridge University.

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Nadia Rouchdy

Head of Climate, Emirates Nature-WWF

Nadia Rouchdy is the Head of Climate at Emirates Nature-WWF, the local environmental charity that works in association global conservation organization WWF. She is passionate about energy access, the potential of renewable energy for refugees and driving momentum towards tackling climate and social issues.At Emirates Nature-WWF, Nadia focuses on delivering projects related to decarbonization.

She oversees the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA) – UAE’s flagship domestic non-state actor programme that positions non-state actors at the forefront of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She manages the pioneering Green Series initiative, which is a partnership with Live Nation to transform the live entertainment sector and enhance the sustainability of concert tours. Nadia is also responsible for the coordination of Emirates Nature-WWF’s engagements at COP28.
This is her second stint at the charity, where she previously spent five years in the Climate Unit, working on energy efficiency, climate mitigation and adaptation.
For over a decade, Nadia has worked across sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental management, energy policy and social impact in the MENA region. With a special focus on technology, she has consulted on multiple projects for UN entities, WWF International, and high-level public figures in the UAE; headed Sustainability and Social Impact at Careem (which has since been acquired by Uber), and was part of the sustainability team at Chalhoub.
She has a master’s in environmental management from SOAS, University of London, where her thesis focused on policy gaps in the protection of refugees, such as from climate change hazards and impacts.
Nadia enjoys paddleboarding, yoga and spending time with her kids.

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Nitin Johar

Chief Financial Officer, RAK Investment Development Office

Nitin has over 22 years of credentials in areas of corporate finance, project finance, project development, public private partnership, energy, cross border M&A, , due diligence and valuation of potential acquisition targets, fund raising in international and national markets, treasury, budget control for capex and opex, risk management and embedded business finance in multiple geographies including India, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Georgia, Zambia and United Arab Emirates.

Prior to joining the IDO, Nitin worked with Tata Group across various businesses in the fields of Power generation, transmission and distribution, coal mining, shipping and ports.

Through his career path, Nitin has raised debt in excess of USD 20 bn (across geographies), raised equity of over USD 1,500 mn, run M&A of multiple companies for over USD 4 bn, managed companies across multiple geographies, run successful operations in power distribution.

Nitin has handled various portfolios and have grown horizontally and vertically within the organisation and demonstrated people leadership with strong inter-personal skills and capability building skills for the team.

Nitin is a Mechanical Engineer from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, MBA from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and a Law Graduate from Mumbai University. He is fluent in Hindi, English, and Punjabi languages.

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Dr. Ute Collier

Deputy Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Ute Collier is Deputy Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. She is responsible for IRENA’s work on policy, markets and finance for the energy transition. This covers policies and finance for scaling up end-use decarbonisation, green hydrogen, sustainable bioenergy, renewables in the power sector, as well as energy access.

She also co-leads IRENA’s annual flagship publication, the World Energy Transitions Outlook. Prior to joining IRENA in May 2021, she was Head of Energy at Practical Action, leading the development organisation’s work on renewable energy solutions in energy access settings.

Previously, she worked at the International Energy Agency and the UK’s Climate Change Committee, as well as a number of public sector and non-governmental organisations earlier in her career.

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