His Excellency Hadi Badri

As Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) within the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Hadi Badri leads the execution of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), a long-term roadmap to position Dubai among the world’s leading global cities for business and innovation. In this capacity, he oversees the development and delivery of strategic initiatives that enhance Dubai’s economic competitiveness, accelerate diversification across priority sectors, and strengthen its position as a global hub for investment, talent, and advanced industries. DEDC plays a central role in shaping Dubai’s future economy—driving growth in digital and innovation-led sectors, enabling foreign direct investment, and fostering an ecosystem that supports scale-ups, multinationals, and next-generation enterprises. His work is anchored in building a resilient, future-ready economic model aligned with Dubai’s long-term ambitions. Hadi also serves on the Board of Directors of the Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) and is Chairman of the UAE Board of Network International, reflecting his broader contribution to the financial services and payments landscape in the region. Prior to joining DET, Hadi held senior leadership roles across global institutions and regional champions including as CEO of Emaar International, Group Chief Strategy Officer at Emaar Properties, and Chairman of Namshi, alongside earlier senior roles at Bain & Company, The Carlyle Group, and Dubai International Capital. He holds an honours degree in Economics from Tufts University.