A global hub for business, trade and commerce that is home to 25,000 companies ranging from start-ups to multinational corporations. A smart, sustainable, and vibrant destination featuring world-class offices, residential, leisure and retail facilities catering to more than 90,000 professionals and 100,000 residents and visitors. Situated in the heart of Dubai, one of the world’s most dynamic cities, DMCC presents an unparalleled vision for the future of business that will connect you to the world and transform the way you work, live and play.

An independent think tank and advisory service. Asia House works with companies and governments in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, facilitating high-level dialogue, providing business and market intelligence, and driving commercial outcomes.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading international business district in 2025 with over 25,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 80,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2023, DMCC was named ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record ninth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working in 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project, the Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process (KP) in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the KP for 2016. Mr Bin Sulayem was reappointed Chair of the KP for a historic second time in 2024, and has continued his leadership role with the position of Custodian Chair in 2025.

H.E. Jamal Abdulla Al-Suwaidi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Singapore

H.E. Jamal Abdulla Al-Suwaidi is a distinguished Emirati diplomat, currently serving as the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Republic of Singapore and Non- resident Ambassador to Papua New Guinea. His Excellency has made significant contributions to enhancing diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between the UAE, Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Since his appointment as Ambassador, His Excellency has spearheaded a series of impactful initiatives that have positioned the UAE as a pivotal partner in the region. His leadership has been pivotal in facilitating high-level bilateral engagements, including the Abu Dhabi- Singapore Joint Forum, Singapore-UAE Joint Committee Meetings and fostering collaboration through strategic agreements, such as the mutual recognition of halal certification between the UAE and Singapore.

His Excellency has hosted numerous high-level meetings with Singaporean ministers, policymakers, and business leaders, strengthening the foundation for robust economic and cultural partnerships. Notably, he conceptualized the inaugural Middle East-Asia Summit, hosted by First Abu Dhabi Bank, bringing together over 300 policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to advance dialogue and cooperation between the GCC and Southeast Asia. His diplomatic efforts have consistently advanced the UAE’s position as a hub for trade, investment, and innovation.

His Excellency’s diplomatic career is marked by diverse leadership roles within the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the Head of the Political Content & Media Section in the Minister's Office. He later assumed the role of Deputy Manager in the same office, further contributing to the Ministry’s strategic objectives. Before embarking on his diplomatic career, His Excellency held key roles in the UAE's maritime and telecommunications sectors, gaining extensive experience in strategic planning and international business.

His Excellency holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Sharjah and an Executive MBA from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Beyond his professional accomplishments, His Excellency is a dedicated family man, married with three daughters. He remains committed to inspiring future generations of leaders through his values of integrity, vision, and service.

Charlie Humphreys, Director of Corporate Affairs, Asia House

Charlie leads Asia House’s corporate and government relations, as well as the business and policy programme. He has led discussions at Asia House public policy events with leading business figures, government ministers from Asia and the West, and experts on Asia. He helped establish Asia House’s Advisory business, advising multinational corporations, governments and other institutions. With an academic background in political economy, before joining Asia House, Charlie worked in finance‚ managing portfolios for investors from Asia and Europe. He also spent a number of years in China where he worked on capacity building projects with the government.

Dr. Robert Yap, Executive Chairman, YCH Group

Dr. Robert Yap is the Executive Chairman of YCH Group, he successfully transformed his father’s business from a local Singapore transport company into an innovative, industry-leading Supply Chain service provider in Asia. Dr. Yap is also a visionary and active champion of ASEAN Connectivity, he believes that a modern, resilient Supply Chain network in ASEAN, with the right technologies and people capabilities, is essential for the region to thrive in generations to come.

Dr. Yap's Asset Right Strategy™ developed top-tier logistics assets like DistriPark®, Fusionaris®, and Supply Chain City®. To boost ASEAN trade and connectivity, he championed SGConnect™ and the ASLN, leading to the development of the Vietnam SuperPort™, a multimodal logistics hub. YCH Group now connects over 100 locations in 15 countries and employs over 6,000 people.

Dr. Yap's accolades include ASEAN-BAC Lifetime Achievement Award and Emeritus Council Member status (2024), Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2007), "Businessman of the Year" at the Singapore Business Awards (2016), and the NUS Business School Eminent Business Alumni Award (2014). An alumnus of Harvard Business School, he is also a Professor of Practice at Zhejiang International Business School.

Daryl Teo, Chief Operating Officer, Coincall OÜ

Daryl Teo oversees the Operations, Data (AI Innovation) and New Market Expansion functions at Coincall, one of the largest cryptocurrency options exchanges globally.

Daryl was Chief of Strategy and Senior Vice President of Lazada Group, the largest E-Commerce company in Southeast Asia where he advised the Alibaba Group on investments across East Asia, including China and the Middle East. Before that, Daryl was the Head of Strategic Products, at Grab Holdings, the largest ride-hailing company in Asia before moving to Singtel, Singapore’s national Telco as Head of Digital Transformation.

Daryl graduated from the University of Cambridge, and continues to publish industry-leading research on Supply Chain, Digital Innovation and Economic Strategy. He is a certified Lean Six-Sigma blackbelt and consults for governments and MNCs worldwide.

Shantanu Mukerji, Managing Director, Gulf Capital

Shantanu Mukerji heads the Singapore office for Gulf Capital. Gulf Capital is a leading thematically driven & socially conscious alternative investment firm with over 18 years of investment experience in Growth Markets. Shantanu Mukerji joined the Firm as Managing Director based out of Singapore in 2021. Mukerji leads the firm’s activities in Asia, looking at private equity investments and portfolio growth opportunities. He brings more than 24 years’ experience, with leadership roles in private equity and a focus on consumer and luxury industries.

Prior to joining Gulf Capital, Mukerji spent approx. 9 years at L Catterton, the world’s largest consumer-focused private equity group, where he worked on origination, transaction execution, financing, syndication, consortium formation, post investment value creation, restructuring and divestment of private equity investments. His operational experience includes senior leadership roles in the consumer industry at prestigious brands such as LVMH Watch & Jewellery, Zegna, and Nike.

Mukerji received a B. Tech degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India) and an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (India).  

Jazreel Luar, Chief Operating Officer, AiRTS Pte. Ltd.

Jazreel is currently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of AiRTS Pte. Ltd., a local AI startup that is also part of the NUS BLOCK71 family. In her current role, Jazreel leads a team of professionals to help organizations develop AI-powered enterprise solutions that are artistically and strategically designed.

AiRTS' patented technology, GenAI Twin®, harnesses the power of AI and GenAI like never before. GenAI Twin® is a virtual replica of an organization’s employees, performing their daily tasks that requires cognitive abilities, in any roles, and strictly adhering to the organization’s policies, procedures, and internal controls.

Jazreel leads a dynamic team at AIRTS driven by innovation, dedication, and a vision to redefine what's possible for businesses worldwide, and guides businesses and organizations in embracing the future with GenAI Twin®, which is in line with AiRTS’s vision to elevate Singapore’s presence in the global AI and tech landscape and fly the Singapore flag high.

Jazreel is passionate about sharing her industry insights, entrepreneurial journey, and real-world applications of AI. She has participated in several rendition of mentorship programmes across various faculties at her alma mater, National University of Singapore – Faculty of Science Mentorship Programme and Women in Business Industry Mentorship Programme. Jazreel is driven to inspire and guide the next generation of professionals as they navigate their career paths in technology and analytics. Additionally, Jazreel is a seasoned trainer, having conducted data analytics training and industry sharing for both internal and external audiences.

Prior to AiRTS, Jazreel had a decade-long career at KPMG Singapore, where she established herself as a versatile data analytics professional with advanced technical skills and extensive experience in project and stakeholder management. Jazreel led the forensic data analytics team in delivering innovative projects that spanned traditional analytics, machine learning, and generative artificial intelligence applications. As a leader, Jazreel managed a team of over 15 data analytics professionals with diverse skill sets, including business intelligence, data engineering, data science, software engineering, and solution architecture. Her consultancy projects covered a wide range of analytics-related topics, such as designing digital roadmaps, developing advanced analytics and AI/ML models, and creating continuous monitoring frameworks for fraud detection and business process oversight.

Dario Acconci, Head of Corporate Asia, Hawksford

Dario focuses on the strategic direction of Hawksford’s Asia offices, which is enhanced by his ability to identify trends and opportunities for a variety of industries and across jurisdictions.

He started his career in Hong Kong, where he worked for an international law firm to assist foreign investments into China, Southeast Asia and East Asia where he advised clients on various aspects of corporate, commercial and labour law. In 2012, Dario moved to Singapore to join a corporate services firm as Partner, focusing on supporting businesses in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. Following the success of its growth, this firm merged into Hawksford in 2018.

As an advocate for international businesses' expansion into Asia and for Chinese/Asian businesses to the rest of the world, he has built very strong cooperative relationships between Hawksford and government investment agencies in Singapore and Hong Kong. He is relied upon by multinational corporates and family-owned businesses from various sectors, and is a trusted advisor to several world-renowned fashion and luxury brands in connection to their expansion and operational goals.

Areas of expertise include: ASEAN and Greater China corporate/commercial law; Foreign direct investment - Asia; Structuring of direct retail distribution networks; Strategic advisory on expansion in Asia; Company formation, corporate governance and compliance - Asia; Immigration.

Bassel Bitar, Senior Manager, Corporate Sales – Asia and Eastern Europe, DMCC

Bassel Bitar is the Senior Manager, Corporate Sales – Asia and Eastern Europe at DMCC, the world’s leading Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.

Joining DMCC as a Team Leader in 2015, Bassel is responsible for promoting the benefits of doing business in Dubai and setting up companies in DMCC.

Prior to joining DMCC, Bassel held senior sales positions at both Etisalat Telecom and Emirates NBD in Dubai.

Bassel earned a Bachelor of Business administration degree in Hotel Management and tourism from the National American University in 2002.