As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Hadi Badri is responsible for leading the DEDC team in orchestrating the implementation of projects related to the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’. As the economic development arm of Dubai, DEDC is mandated to enhance Dubai’s economic competitiveness across sectors, diversify the emirate’s economy, attract foreign investment and global talent, and develop initiatives that focus on fostering innovation and driving Dubai’s digital economy.

Hadi also serves a member of the board of directors of the Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), one of the leading banks in the UAE.

Prior to joining DET, Hadi held various management roles at Emaar Properties, including as CEO of Emaar International, Group Chief Strategy Officer at Emaar and Chairman of Namshi.

Previously, Hadi gained extensive experience working with multinational companies in various fields. Hadi was a Principal at Bain & Company, where he led a range of complex strategy and organization projects across industries.

He was also an investment professional at The Carlyle Group and Dubai International Capital. Hadi has served as a Board Director for Emaar Properties in 15 companies across Real Estate, E-commerce and Hospitality, including Emaar’s real estate development businesses in India, Turkey, Pakistan as well as Namshi (Fashion E-commerce) and Rove Hotels (Hospitality).

Hadi has also previously served as a Board Director at Sandooq Al Watan and Rivoli Group and as a Member of Investment Advisory Committees at Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) and Carlyle MENA Partners.

Hadi is an honors graduate in Economics from Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA.