Crown Prince's decree puts private-sector executive in top tourism policy role

A resolution issued by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has appointed Dr Mohamed Al Zaabi as Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, placing a senior private-sector executive at the centre of the emirate’s cultural and tourism policymaking apparatus.

The appointment signals continuity in how Abu Dhabi intends to pursue its stated ambitions to strengthen its position as a global destination for culture, heritage, creativity and tourism. In his new capacity, Dr Al Zaabi will support the delivery of that strategy. He will do so while retaining his role as Managing Director of Miral, the destination developer he has led since joining the company in 2015.

The dual mandate stands out from a governance standpoint. The same individual will hold a senior post within a government department and continue directing a major entity operating in the sector that department oversees. The resolution itself makes no mention of any separation of duties, and the announcement frames the combination as a means of aligning strategy with delivery.

Before this appointment, Dr Al Zaabi served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Miral, where he oversaw the development of major leisure, entertainment and cultural destinations. Under his leadership, Yas Island consolidated its standing as a leading regional destination, and Miral broadened its portfolio through new assets and international partnerships. The announcement credits him with a key role in initiatives spanning destination development, tourism growth and strategic partnerships, work said to have raised Abu Dhabi’s international profile and supported its economic diversification objectives.

His broader career includes project and development roles at Aldar Properties PJSC and a position as Head of Integrated Technologies at a subsidiary of Emirates Advanced Investment. He currently chairs Miral Destinations and sits on the board of Miral Experiences. In 2024 he was elected to the board of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, and Forbes Middle East has recognised him among its Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders.

His credentials span both engineering and management. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Warwick, an Executive MBA from INSEAD, an MSc in Strategic Project Planning from Heriot-Watt University and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from UAE University. He was also the first Emirati to earn Cisco’s CCIE professional certification.

What the appointment will mean in practice for the department’s mandate, and how oversight of a sector will be balanced against continued leadership of one of its principal operators, are questions the resolution does not address. For now, the decision consolidates responsibility for Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism agenda in the hands of an executive whose record, as presented, is closely tied to the sector’s recent growth.