Sami Al Qamzi

Director general, Dubai Economy

As the person leading Dubai’s agenda to position itself as a global trade, logistics, finance and investment hub, Al Qamzi has played a key role in supporting the growth of the startup and SME ecosystem in the emirate. In a statement last month, Al Qamzi, who has been heading the department since September 2008, stressed that SMEs are a “strategic component of sustainable and innovation-driven economic growth in Dubai and the UAE”.

A member of the Executive Council of Dubai, Al Qamzi holds several senior positions and also previously served as Dubai’s director general of the Department of Finance.