ABOUT MIRAL
For over a decade, Miral has been transforming landscapes and enriching lives on our exciting journey to become the region’s most impactful and influential leisure, tourism and lifestyle brand.
We unite communities and cultures, people and places, families and friends through our world-famous destinations and experiences across Abu Dhabi and beyond, bringing everyone together to share amazing moments and make memories that last a lifetime.
We’re at the heart of a thriving ecosystem of beloved brands, awesome partners and wonderful people – inspiring and energising each other to break boundaries, catalyse change, drive development and shape a strong and sustainable future for Abu Dhabi.
LEADERSHIP
H.E. MOHAMED KHALIFA AL MUBARAK
CHAIRMAN
“It’s a great privilege to have been entrusted to lead such an array of high-profile groups. The breadth of work allows a joined up approach that can benefit UAE nationals, residents and tourists alike. It also gives me the opportunity to leverage all my experience in the broadest sense. I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to look out across a city and see so many projects that I have been involved with.”
H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak is a prominent Emirati business leader who oversees Abu Dhabi’s cultural and tourism growth agenda, and a Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
In his role as Chairman of Miral, Al Mubarak has guided the elevation and promotion of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi into a top global destination for entertainment, leisure and business. An ambitious and visionary leader, Al Mubarak is focussed on driving the company’s brand footprint into new markets, forging new partnerships and evolving Miral’s business model to harness innovation and the commercialisation of new products and services.
Al Mubarak is spearheading Miral’s strategic aspiration to contribute to Abu Dhabi’s long-term development as a sustainable, diversified and globally integrated economy. Under his leadership, Miral was appointed as Destination Manager of Saadiyat Island in 2022, the cultural heart of the Emirate and a regional beacon in the cultural tourism ecosystem.
Al Mubarak is the President of the Abrahamic Family House and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, where he is joined by international religious leaders, educational scholars, and cultural leaders across the world, to support and spread the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
Al Mubarak serves as Vice-Chair on the Foundation Board of ALIPH, the international alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas.
Al Mubarak is a graduate of Northeastern University (USA), with a double major in Economics and Political Science.
DR. MOHAMED ABDALLA AL ZAABI
Managing Director
Dr. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi serves as Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and as Managing Director of Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences. In these roles, he helps shape the Emirate’s culture and tourism agenda at a national level while providing strategic direction to one of its most significant destination development entities.
His career has been defined by a single conviction: that tourism, when built on authenticity, ambition and world-class execution, is among the most powerful engines of economic diversification and national identity.
Over the past decade he has been one of the principal architects of Abu Dhabi’s emergence as a global destination, translating the Emirate’s long-term vision into landmark assets, international partnerships and visitor experiences that have redefined perceptions of the region.
Dr. Al Zaabi joined Miral in 2015 and led the company as Group Chief Executive Officer, transforming it into a powerhouse within the leisure, entertainment and tourism sector. Under his leadership, Yas Island grew into one of the world’s most recognised entertainment, leisure and business destination, welcoming millions of visitors each year and contributing meaningfully to the Emirate’s economic diversification. In 2022, Miral was appointed to oversee destination management for Saadiyat Island, extending its remit across Abu Dhabi’s cultural and natural tourism offering.
He has been instrumental in forging partnerships with some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including Ferrari, Warner Bros. Discovery, United Parks and Resorts (previously SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.), teamLab and The Walt Disney Company; partnerships that have positioned Abu Dhabi alongside the world’s foremost destination markets and set a benchmark for what the region can deliver.
Beyond the assets themselves, Dr. Al Zaabi has been a consistent advocate for the tourism industry’s wider contribution: the development of Emirati talent, the growth of a sustainable visitor economy, and the role of culture and heritage in shaping how Abu Dhabi is understood internationally.
Before joining Miral, Dr. Al Zaabi began his career in project and construction development in 2008 at Aldar Properties PJSC, where he held roles across multiple business units. Prior to that, he served as Head of Integrated Technologies at a subsidiary of Emirates Advanced Investment.
Dr. Al Zaabi holds a number of leadership positions. He was elected a Board Member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) in September 2024, and serves as Chairman of Miral Destinations and a Member of the Board of Directors of Miral Experiences. Recognised as one of the most influential figures in his industry, he was ranked among the top ten of Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 Travel & Tourism Leaders for 2025.
He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, 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 the first Emirati to receive the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification, one of the IT industry’s most prestigious credentials.
