Maher Al Kaabi

Maher Al Kaabi, a visionary leader, and a seasoned banker with over 30 years of experience in the Banking, Digital industry and Family Business. He has extensive expertise in Board Membership, Islamic Banking, Wholesales & Consumer Banking, Risk Management, Finance, Operation & Technology, Sales & Distribution and Business Development. He also has deep knowledge in innovation and trends in the generation and utilization of data sets and of new technologies. Serves on board of several startup companies, a Chairman of Board of Governance of a Star International School and co-founder of Blink.

Works extensively with various ministries in future technologies, circular economy, and sustainability of family businesses by training NextGen on Venture Studio Module.

He is on the Advisory Board of:
- UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment – Circular Economy Council
- Middle East Energy
- MENA Power Projects
- MIT Sloan CIO Council
- Cybersecurity – CYSEC Global
- Optimisation Hub

Mr. Maher is a sought-after keynote speaker who shares his expertise and insights on various topics at events covering various topics (FinTech, Building Digital Economy (AI, metaverse, blockchain, web3, etc.), Circular Economy, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Sustainability of Family Businesses (supervise venture studio program for UAE NextGen’s), Banking & Finance, Corporate Governance, and Investments).

He is an advisor to the Group Chairman of Al Serkal Group of Companies (165+ year old family) and serves as an Independent Board Member. He advises the Board on developing a more structured governance model and reviewing and refining the structure of the group with the objective of creating a more flexible, robust and efficient organization that will be better placed to respond to future business opportunities. He also applies his expertise in transitioning businesses digitally.

Alserkal Group are the co-founder of several entities such as Etisalat, 1st local bank Emirates NBD, DEWA, SEWA, CBD, Dubai Insurance, Pepsi (DRC). It also has the O&M contract for Dubai Metro, Smart Mobility (On-Demand), agent of Etihad Rails, Alserkal Avenue. It plays a pivotal role Environmental & Sustainability vertical with companies including Blue, Envirol Plant (the only plant in the Middle East to treat FOG), and soon will be opening one of the largest Bio-fuel plant in UAE.

He commenced his professional journey at New Era Computers, where he served as one of the Co-founders.
Subsequently, he transitioned to Citigroup, where he dedicated 15 years to advancing his career. During his tenure, he held various esteemed positions both domestically and internationally.

Following his time at Citigroup, he assumed the role of Chief Risk Officer at Dubai Bank. In this capacity, he successfully established the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework, which encompassed all facets of risk, including Credit Risk, Market Risk, Operational Risk, and Fraud Risk. Furthermore, he devised and implemented a comprehensive risk strategy that prioritized crucial areas such as Business Continuity, Regulatory Compliance, Quality Assurance, and Governance.

Later, he joined Emirates National Bank of Dubai as the Group Head of Islamic Banking. In this influential role, he spearheaded the growth and development of the Islamic Banking business across ENBD's local, regional, and international branches. He actively participated in the Islamic Banking Committee and collaborated with local regulatory authorities to introduce innovative Shari’ah compliant products and services for clients. Additionally, he also assumed the dual responsibility of Group Head Chief Operating Officer for Wholesale Banking.

Maher possesses a diverse range of expertise stemming from his professional experience in Strategy, Human Capital Development, Digital & Circular Economy, Engineering, among others. These skills are complemented by his soft skills, including being a Leadership, Multiplier, passionate, self-starter, team builder, innovative, and executive coach. In addition, he has been honored with numerous Global Awards.
He is currently pursuing his doctorate in the field of AI in sustainability.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 6 November

11:00

Decarbonisation Conference Decarbonisation Theatre 11:00 - 12:00

View Session

The role of carbon markets in accelerating decarbonisation

Carbon markets have a pivotal role in accelerating the energy transition, supporting large-scale climate goals, and aiding countries and businesses in achieving their net-zero emissions targets. While carbon markets hold immense promise, challenges such as fragmentation and the lack of standardised crediting mechanisms can undermine both the credibility and effectiveness of carbon markets. Establishing clear guidelines on the accepted uses of carbon credits, along with improved standards and infrastructure for their development and sale, can make carbon markets a more effective tool for driving the rapid emissions reductions needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. However, they should be seen as a complement to, not a substitute for, strong climate policies and corporate action to decarbonise operations

Attendee insights:

Understand the significant role carbon markets play in reducing emissions as well as the barriers to increasing their uptake and delivering improved decarbonisation results.