Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani

Al Shaibani serves as Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the first shariah-compliant lender in the world and one of the country’s largest banks in terms of assets. In addition, he sits on the boards of several government-related organizations in the U.A.E., such as Dubai World and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Limited. In January 2020, he was appointed Chairman of Nakheel, one of the largest property developers in Dubai that has recently been named as a member of the higher committee of real estate announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Mohammed Al Shaibani’s strong knowledge of Islamic financial services led him to be selected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) in 2008, one the U.A.E’s largest banks. DIB is also considered as the first bank in the world to apply Islamic principles in all its practices.

In 2013, Mohammed Al Shaibani was named Deputy Chairman of the Higher Preparatory Committee of the World Expo 2020 to be held in Dubai. As such, he reviews the preparations and progress of the universal fair. Dubai Expo 2020, under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” will celebrate cultural diversity and will feature technological innovations.

After acquiring the entertainment resort Atlantis the Palm in 2013, ICD has purchased significant equity interest in the international firm that manages it, Kerzner International. This was followed by Mohammed Al Shaibani replacing Sol Kerzner as the Chairman of the international luxury hotels developer after the latter’s retirement in April 2014.

An Emiri decree issued in 2012 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, reaffirmed Al Shaibani as CEO and Executive Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the investment arm that consolidates the assets of the Government of Dubai. Such assets contribute to the growth of Dubai and range from leading financial services companies to local real estate giants, including renowned transportation and utilities corporations.

He was ranked the most influential non-royal official in U.A.E. by the Wall Street Journal in 2010 and one of the country’s ten most influential people by Your Middle East platform in 2013. That year, Mohammed Al Shaibani was also considered as the sixth of the 500 most powerful Arabs in the world by Arabian Business, and he was named the 17th of the 100 most powerful Arabs in 2014 by Gulf Business.

In 2010, Al Shaibani has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Dubai World, the government-owned holding focused on urban development. His experience as an administrator and corporate leader proved to be pivotal in the restructuring of the US$25 billion debt pile of the holding, which enabled it to return to the international bond market.

In 2008, Al Shaibani was appointed Director General of The Ruler’s Court, Government of Dubai, by Emiri decree issued by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai. The Ruler’s Court or Diwan is the traditional seat of power in Dubai and various government units operate under its umbrella, such as the Department of Finance, Dubai Courts and the Executive Council, to name a few. In this role, Mohammed Al Shaibani initiated in 2008 a wave cracking down corporate corruption in Dubai.

Al Shaibani also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Supreme Fiscal Committee (SFC) of Dubai since its inception in 2007. This five-man committee supervises the Dubai Financial Support Fund, which provides loans on a commercial basis to government and government-related entities that are of strategic importance to the development of the Emirate of Dubai. The SFC assesses and approves the loan criteria needed to grant the financial support to entities and projects, and reviews applications proposed by the fund's board. It also determines the size and terms of each loan as well as the nature of the related securities and guarantees.

Mohammed Al Shaibani is also a member of the Executive Council, Government of Dubai, which was created in 2003 to support government authorities in maintaining the stability and organization of the emirate, in addition to developing its society and economy. Moreover, the Executive Council is responsible for setting and implementing the general strategy of Dubai, as well as enforcing local laws. The Council also sets the annual budget for the Government of Dubai, and ensures the smooth functioning of government bodies among other administrative duties.

Since 1998 Al Shaibani has held the status of President at the Dubai Office, a private management entity for the Royal Family of Dubai. In this capacity, he represented the interests of the ruling family in London for eight years from 1999 to 2007. He currently oversees the functioning of this office from Dubai.

Mohammed Al Shaibani graduated from the United States of America in 1988 with a Bachelor of Computer Science. He started his career at Dubai Ports Authority and Jebel Ali Free Zone, where he worked for seven years. After that, he moved to Singapore where he spent four years as Managing Director of Al Khaleej Investments.

Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani (Arabic: محمد إبراهيم الشيباني), also known as His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani (or Al Shaibani, b. 1964,) is a non-royal government official in Dubai, U.A.E, who is the current Director General of The Ruler’s Court, Government of Dubai (also known as Al Diwan Al Amiri, or Diwan Al Hakim), a prime government body of the Emirate of Dubai.