Abdul wahab Al-Halabi | Official Profile on The Marque

Abdul wahab’s Biography

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Abdul wahab Al-Halabi is an entrepreneur, advisor, restructuring expert and Partner at Decker & Halabi. As Partner at the boutique advisory firm, Abdul wahab applies his knowledge and expertise gained from over 20 years in executive management, restructuring, crisis & debt management, credit enhancements and joint ventures.

Decker & Halabi specialises in debt advisory and consulting on mergers and acquisitions. Abdul wahab sits on the board of several listed entities and private businesses such as DXB Entertainments PJSC, Union Properties PJSC, TPL Properties, AbFab Limited and Embassy Capital Limited. Previously, he has held multiple senior leadership roles, largely leading companies through turnaround situations and subsequent growth. As Group Chief Investment Officer of Equitativa, he led the expansion of the group’s financial services and asset management across a range of industries.

Abdul wahab was responsible for the financial turnaround of major holding company Meraas, where he served as COO and Group Chief Investment Officer. He handled asset management, special investments... Abdul wahab Al-Halabi is an entrepreneur, advisor, restructuring expert and Partner at Decker & Halabi. As Partner at the boutique advisory firm, Abdul wahab applies his knowledge and expertise gained from over 20 years in executive management, restructuring, crisis & debt management, credit enhancements and joint ventures.

Decker & Halabi specialises in debt advisory and consulting on mergers and acquisitions. Abdul wahab sits on the board of several listed entities and private businesses such as DXB Entertainments PJSC, Union Properties PJSC, TPL Properties, AbFab Limited and Embassy Capital Limited. Previously, he has held multiple senior leadership roles, largely leading companies through turnaround situations and subsequent growth. As Group Chief Investment Officer of Equitativa, he led the expansion of the group’s financial services and asset management across a range of industries.

Abdul wahab was responsible for the financial turnaround of major holding company Meraas, where he served as COO and Group Chief Investment Officer. He handled asset management, special investments and oversaw the group’s international portfolios, while managing the daily operations and developing new governance structures.

Before this, Abdul wahab was CEO of Dubai Properties, where he established project ownership and the company’s commercial division, after three major groups merged into one. He was pivotal in leading Mizin Real Estate through the 2008 financial crisis and previously joined Tatweer as Chief Operating Officer of their leisure and entertainment businesses, which included the Dubailand project. Abdul wahab sat on the board of Global Investment House PJSC focusing on the turnaround of the group and, as CEO for two years, on the sale of the group to KAMCO PJSC. He began his career in London at KPMG, where he worked in corporate recovery before later becoming a Partner at the firm and leading the restructuring and transactions in the UAE and Oman. moreless

Abdul wahab’s Background

Embassy Capital

Managing Director

2020 - Present

Dubai, AE

Embassy Capital is an asset manager based in the DIFC in Dubai. It is focused on investing in high-value yield investments across several asset classes. A core focus is on real estate where it specializes in income-generating real estate globally. Embassy Capital is also involved in several private equity situations in the GCC region.

Decker & Halabi

Partner

Jan 2018 - Present

Dubai, AE

Decker & Halabi is a global boutique advisory firm that specialises in debt advisory as well as mergers and acquisitions. Decker & Halabi aims to tailor their strategies according to their clients’ goals in order to provide personalised service that is both collaborative and precise.

Equitativa Group

Group Chief Investment Officer

Jul 2016 - Feb 2020

Dubai, AE

Equitativa Group is a Dubai-based asset management firm that specialises in handling real estate investment trusts (REITs). Equitativa offers risk-adjusted, income-generating products to institutional and retail clients.

Global Investment House

CEO & Board Member

2015 - 2019

Kuwait City, KW

Global Investment House was an investment company based in Kuwait. It merged with Kamco Investment Company to form what is now known as Kamco Invest, a leader in asset management, investment banking and brokerage in the Gulf region.

Meraas Holding LLC

Chief Operating Officer & Group Chief Investment Officer

Jan 2010 - Jun 2016

Dubai, AE

Meraas Holding is a major holding company based in the United Arab Emirates. It offers a range of products and services through its subsidiaries, including retail, food & beverage, healthcare, enterprise and real estate solutions.

KPMG

Partner, Restructuring & Debt Advisory

Feb 2012 - Oct 2013

Dubai, AE

KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The firm is part of the Big Four, which makes it one of the four largest professional service networks in the world.

Dubai Properties LLC

CEO

Jul 2009 - Jan 2010

Dubai, AE

Dubai Properties is part of the Dubai Holding group and primarily focuses on large scale developments in both commercial and residential property.

Mizin Real Estate LLC

Vice President

Jul 2008 - Jul 2009

Dubai, AE

Mizin LLC is a real estate company that falls under Dubai Holding. Abdul was instrumental in leading the business through the 2008 finical crises as their Vice President.

Tatweer | Dubailand

Chief Operations Officer

Feb 2006 - Jun 2008

Dubai, AE

Tatweer in part of Dubai Holding and was established in 2005 to help fulfil the Dubai Vision. Tatweer has led the Dubailand project, a major entertainment complex based in Dubai that is known to be one of the most elaborate in the world. The project was put on hold after the global recession in 2008 and has resumed since mid-2013.

KPMG

Corporate Recovery

1996 - 2005

London, UK

Abdul started his career at KPMG, where he focused on corporate recovery, where he worked on a range of cases, from formal insolvencies to large scale restructuring advisory.

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Current Board Positions

United Arab Bank

Board Member

Aug 2021 - Present

Sharjah, AE

Based in Sharjah, the United Arab Bank is a joint venture between UAE investors and the French multinational investment bank and financial services company, Société Générale. The bank offers tailor-made financial services in both corporate and retail banking.

Global SWF

Board Member

Nov 2020 - Present

Dubai, AE

Founded in 2018, Global SWF is an innovative and extensive data platform that follows and promotes a better understanding of State-Owned Investors (SOIs), such as Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and Public Pension Funds (PPFs) through consulting, data and M&A.

Houlihan Lokey

Senior Advisor & Member of the Board, Middle East

Apr 2020 - Present

Dubai, AE

Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank that specialises in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, valuation and financial structuring. With offices all over the world, the company assists institutions, corporations and governments worldwide.

Union Properties

Vice Chairman

Jun 2020 - Present

Dubai, AE

Established in 1987, Union Properties is a leading high-quality United Arab Emirates property developer. The company has successfully delivered over 10,000 commercial, residential and retail units across Dubai. The company's successful portfolio includes Index Tower, UP Tower, Dubai Autodrome, Limestone House, Uptown Mirdif and Green Community.

AbFab Limited

Director

Oct 2011 - Present

Dubai, AE

AbFab Limited is a food and beverage company based outside of the United Arab Emirates.

TPL Properties Limited

Director

Karachi, PK

TPL Properties is a real estate development company based in Pakistan that was established in 2007. TPL focuses on developing, investing, selling and leasing both private and commercial real estate.

DXB Entertainments

Chairman & Independent Director

Dubai, AE

DXB Entertainments owns Dubai Parks and Resorts and manages six family entertainment centres, as well as several cinemas that are owned by its parent company, Meraas Holding.

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Previous Board Positions

NMC Healthcare

Board Member

Oct 2020 - Dec 2020

Dubai, AE

The largest healthcare provider in the United Arab Emirates, NMC Healthcare is a global leader in the industry. Previously NMC Healthcare was a constituent of the FTSE 100 index listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Planet Pharmacies LLC

Vice Chairman of The Board

Jan 2017 - Mar 2019

Dubai, AE

Planet Pharmacies is a joint endeavour between Global Investment House, a leading Kuwait-based investment firm (now Kamco Invest) and Julphar Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest manufacturers of generic drugs in the region that is based in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates.

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Media

Entrepreneurs’ Organization UAE

How we will evolve as entrepreneurs in the current situation

Jul 2020

Dubai, AE

Abdul wahab held an insightful session for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization UAE on how entrepreneurs will evolve during the global pandemic.

EBCTV | Abdul Wahab Al-Halabi

Interviewee

May 2020

Dubai, AE

David J. Burns MBE, CEO of the English Business Council, interviews Abdul on the impact of COVID-19 on consumer-facing businesses.

Accreditation

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Fellow (Chartered Accountant)

1999

London, UK

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has over 147,000 members. Over 15,000 of these members live and work outside the UK. 82 of FTSE 100 companies have an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on the board.

Publications

A COVID-19 Survival Kit For Entrepreneurs

Author

Apr 2020

Dubai, AE

Abdul shares a survival kit for entrepreneurs during COVID-19, especially those involved in consumer-facing businesses that have been more severely impacted than other industries. He encourages entrepreneurs to reflect on how they will contribute to the new business climate and explores four points on how to successfully navigate a crisis.

Memberships

Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (CISI)

Member

London, UK

The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment is an association for finance professionals around the world. The organisation ensures that all members comply with the codes of conduct and ethical guidelines while working in the securities and investment sectors.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization UAE

Member

Dubai, AE

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is an international association of business owners from over 60 countries. It is a platform for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, network and support new ventures.

Abdul wahab’s Education

École des Ponts ParisTech

Executive MBA, Economics

2003 - 2005

London School of Economics

Bachelor of Science in Economics

1993 - 1996