Dubai Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board shapes what the University of Birmingham Dubai will become.
Our Board members know a lot about the sector and the United Arab Emirates. They use their knowledge and experience to advise us and open doors to new opportunities. They guide us to work well within the region and build strong ties with the community. All the while making sure our civic mission remains linked to that of the United Arab Emirates.
Board members
Dr Leonard Stall
A proud graduate of the University of Birmingham, and recipient of an honorary doctorate, Leonard Stall is a media entrepreneur, writer, and editor also active in the philanthropy and charity sectors. As Group CEO/Chairman of Touchline in UAE and internationally, the lead agency behind Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020 and the communications business responsible for the emirate’s Vision magazine, he also launched Philanthropy Age magazine and led the How to do Good book and international speaker tour. Alongside his commitment to the University of Birmingham Dubai, he sits on the Governing Committee of the Gradel Institute of Charity at New College, University of Oxford, and is a trustee of the Silverstone Motor Racing Museum.
Isobel Abulhoul OBE
Isobel Abulhoul OBE is a renowned cultural leader in the UAE. She co-founded Magrudys, a bookshop chain, and the award-winning Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. She currently serves as the advisor and trustee on the board of the Emirates Literature Foundation. She is also a trustee of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, Member of the Police Advisory Council for Community Service, a director of the Board for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library and Chairperson for one of the UN Global Councils focused on SDGs, in the UAE.
Dr Matthew Hurn OBE
Matthew is the CFO of Disruptive Investments at Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor managing a US $270 billion portfolio spanning six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes. Having worked in the finance & treasury industry for over 30 years in both the public and private sectors, he joined Mubadala over 15 years ago. In his role, Matthew is responsible for overseeing all aspects of strategic, commercial, and operational financial matters across several business units. He was a key architect and instrumental in the creation of the £10 billion UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Programme, signed in 2021. Matthew was awarded an OBE in the 2022 Queens New Year’s Honours list for his contribution to UAE-UK financial relations and is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Birmingham.
Chris Williams
Being resident in the UAE since 2008, Chris Williams uses his keen understanding of the region to guide his leadership of Bracewell’s Dubai office, as well as his own active corporate practice. Chris has particular experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, complex commercial contracts and corporate advisory work, as well as experience advising on labour and employment matters and managing litigation disputes in the UAE. Chris holds a degree from the University of Liverpool in the UK and has been a University of Birmingham Dubai Advisory Board Member since 2021.
Dr Abdulkareem Olama
Dr. Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama is the CEO of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) which encompasses over 30 humanitarian and developmental initiatives and entities to support and empower vulnerable communities globally. Dr. Al Olama has been instrumental in directing the organisation’s focus towards sustainable projects, such as the ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’, ‘Mothers’ Endowment’, and a pioneering ‘Food Innovation Hub’ with the World Economic Forum. Before leading MBRGI, Dr. Al Olama served as the CEO of the Al Jalila Foundation, catalysing Dubai’s prominence in medical education and research. Dr. Al Olama is an alumnus of Harvard Medical School and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development.