With more than 30 years’ experience in media and financial affairs, Mohamed Dobay has a wealth of knowledge across the Abu Dhabi creative community and held c-suite roles with key stakeholders including twofour54, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Media Zone Authority and Abu Dhabi Media Company.

In his current role as Acting Director General, CMA, Dobay will bring a proven track record of building successful taskforces along with commercial strategy and planning and will be overseeing the delivery of the key strategic goals as the CMA enforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for creativity and the capital of creative industries in the region.

In addition to his current role as Acting Director General, Dobay is Senior Advisor – Finance, Abu Dhabi Media Office and he holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Suez Canal University in Egypt, as well as being a certified management accountant by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia.

Katrina Anderson brings multi-sector and multi-market experience over a 25-year career, which has seen her drive the business strategy for Abu Dhabi’s media industry since 2009. With a well-rounded suite of specialities, all geared to driving commercial success, Katrina leads high-performing teams, while being an expert in organisational growth and development across, production, entertainment, tourism and media sectors.

Katrina has created successful strategic partnerships which underpin Abu Dhabi’s wider industry diversification goals and in her current role as Advisor to CMA’s Director General, her uncompromising standards of excellence and attention to detail deliver creativity, innovation, and accountability across the entire CMA ecosystem.

Holding previous senior roles at Abu Dhabi Government Media Office and twofour54, Katrina managed end-to-end delivery of commercial and customer journeys involving strategic partnerships, film and TV services, real estate infastructure projects and key government customer care services. She has garnered key relationships over the years with global media brands such as Paramount, Sony, Legendary, Lucas Films, and key films franchises such as Mission Impossible and Dune, which she is able to leverage for Abu Dhabi’s benefit.

As Head of Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Sameer Al Jaberi is responsible for all aspects of the entity, overseeing the rebate and locations departments as well as the industry directory and government services, which support the production ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

Across his 14 years at ADFC, Sameer has amassed institutional knowledge of Abu Dhabi’s unique and diverse locations, having previously worked as Head of Locations. Because of this, Sameer has advised producers on location selection, recommending the perfect filming spots for Indian productions including Tiger Zinda Hai, Bharat, Saaho, Race 3 and Dunki.

In addition, Sameer has worked on numerous international productions such as Dune, Dune: Part Two, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Fallout, Fast and Furious 7, Top Gear, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens to name a few.

He is an accomplished motivational speaker and the only Emirati to reach the International Toastmasters Speech Contest. Given his love for producing content, Sameer also spends his spare time working in photography, filmmaking, music and voiceover acting.

Sameer holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Media Studies from Higher Colleges of Technology

With more than 14 years of experience working in the public sector, Aysha AlJneibi leads the Talent Management arm of Creative Media Authority; spearheading all the authority’s programmes, incentives and initiatives which aim to attract established talent to live and work in Abu Dhabi alongside identifying, nurturing and training talent to fuel for the creative industries from within the Emirate.

Through the creative lab and Arab Film Studios, Aysha and her team oversee a variety of programmes which foster growth, upskill, train and most importantly, inspire the future storytellers of the nation.

With competitive freelance packages, golden visas and extensive business guidance complementing the lifestyle and safety of Abu Dhabi alongside zero personal taxes and outstanding global connectivity, the Talent Management team encourages established creatives to consider Abu Dhabi as a location to live, work and thrive.

Prior to joining CMA, Aysha handled special projects for Abu Dhabi’s Media Office (ADMO) rolling out projects at local and federal levels including the media sector. She holds a master’s degree in project management from the University of Maryland, USA and successfully completed The Leader programme at Abu Dhabi School of Government.

With leading skills in project management, strategy and performance Aysha has received several honours and awards for her work in government over the last decade.

Khalid brings more than 15 years of experience in driving brand and business performance across the creative industry, creating incisive commercial strategies and leading talent development. In his new role as Industry Development Director, he leads a team driving industry development and generating economic stimulus through securing an increasing number of projects, partnerships and locally based companies for Abu Dhabi’s creative industries.

Formally, Talent Development Director at Creative Media Authority, Khalid championed the efforts to attract, train and retain the best talent from the region and beyond to help build Abu Dhabi’s creative industry. Under this role, Khalid oversaw innovative training and development programs including Arab Film Studio and Creative Lab.

Khalid also served as Chief of Operations at Image Nation Abu Dhabi, delivering on objectives through productive change across people, processes, and strategies. Khalid also worked as General Manager at Quest Arabiya and Head of Commercial at twofour54.

First starting at Ernst & Young as an auditor more than 20 years ago, Samer Abu Haikal oversees support services functions including finance, human resources, IT, procurement and general services at Creative Media Authority.

At the authority, he ensures financial sustainability and operational smoothness alongside guaranteeing governance and compliance with UAE law, regulations and policies.

He is also currently Chief Financial Officer at Image Nation Abu Dhabi and prior to joining CMA, Samer held several senior roles including Head of Finance at Abu Dhabi Media Company and Chief Financial Officer at twofour54.

Samer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from University Of Jordan, as well as being a USA Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Ahmad Khudeiri is an accomplished Strategy Executive with more than 14 years of expertise in strategic management and transactional advisory.

He has an established record of developing long-term strategies, driving corporate growth, and enhancing operational performance.

In his current role at Abu Dhabi’s Creative Media Authority, Ahmad leads on the development of the strategy for Abu Dhabi’s creative media ecosystem, deal advisory, business excellence and research, ensuring impactful execution across the organisation.

Ahmad has previously held leadership roles in the Abu Dhabi Media Office, Department of Culture & Tourism and at OSN, as well as senior consulting positions with Booz Allen Hamilton and KPMG.

Ahmad holds an Executive MBA from London Business School, a Postgraduate Diploma with honours in Strategy & Innovation from the University of Oxford, and a BSBA from the American University of Sharjah.

Nabil is an experienced film and TV specialist with more than 33 years working as a producer, director and head of production throughout the MENA region on TV dramas, reality shows, concerts, festivals, opening ceremonies and a variety of sporting and entertainment events.

During his career, he has gained extensive expertise in live broadcasting, TV entertainment, drama and broadcasting services, production services and he is highly skilled in managing complex projects from concept to conclusion.

In his role as Senior Head of Strategic Partnerships at Creative Media Authority he oversees all regional productions and manages client requirements from the first contact to the project’s completion alongside forging partnerships with key industry specialists to supplement the infrastructure.

He has held a variety of roles in key partners of Creative Media Authority including Head of Arabic Production for Abu Dhabi Film Commission and Head of Business Development at twofour54.

Naji Halabi is an experienced Senior Marketing and Management professional with more than 18 years of experience in the Middle East, specializing in business development and industry growth.

As a Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Creative Media Authority in Abu Dhabi, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the media and entertainment industry landscape by introducing and managing strategic initiatives designed to attract both local and international media enterprises to Abu Dhabi forging partnerships with key industry specialists to grow the ecosystem,

Naji is committed to significantly enhancing Abu Dhabi’s GDP by positioning the emirate as a premier destination for strategic investments driving industry best practices, creating employment opportunities, and nurturing local talent for sustainable growth.

Naji has held a variety of key roles to include Business Development Manager at twofour54, where he was instrumental in the development of the Yas Creative Hub and the expansion of the regional and international gaming sector. He also led marketing initiatives for INDITEX Group / Azadea chain in retail &fashion, and F&B brands, demonstrating well-rounded sector expertise in marketing strategies, product positioning, and team leadership.

Fluent in English, Arabic, and French, he holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the American University of Science & Technology.

Mini Sarma brings extensive expertise in the media and entertainment industry, with more than 20 years in film production and post-production management. As Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC), she is a key player in promoting Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice - specifically for Indian film production.

Mini is responsible for overseeing the seamless execution of Indian film and TV production in Abu Dhabi and her role encompasses the entire production process, including managing teams, logistics, partnerships, and location services. Abu Dhabi Film Commission has supported the production of 13 major Indian films, including The Crew and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM) most recently, which Mini and her team were an instrumental part of on ground production.

Prior to her current position, Mini held senior roles in prominent media organisations, where she led award-winning teams on global feature film projects. She is well-known within the industry for her ability to navigate the complexities of international media production and as a native of India, Mini is deeply passionate about strengthening the screen ties between the UAE and India.