Where Vision Becomes Place

Issam Galadari

Founder, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ithra Dubai and CEO of Dubai Healthcare City Authority 

Issam Galadari is the Founder, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ithra Dubai, a leading property development and asset management company in Dubai. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Healthcare City Authority. 

Over his three decades in real estate, Issam has built a robust reputation for delivering mega property development projects and achieving corporate growth objectives. His name has become synonymous with the most recognisable real estate landmarks in Dubai, including the record-breaking icons of Burj Khalifa, One Za’abeel, and Atlantis The Royal.

 As Real Estate Director for the Investment Corporation of Dubai, Issam is responsible for establishing the real estate folio of ICD.  During his time at Emaar, as the CEO of Emaar Properties, Issam launched some of the most recognizable real estate landmarks in Dubai like Downtown Dubai, Emirates Hills, Emirates Living, Dubai Marina, Arabian Ranches and Polo Residences to name a few. He was also the Managing Director of Emaar International where he expanded the business into 11 countries in Asia and North Africa. 

His impact on the real estate industry persists with his appointment as CEO of Ithra Dubai in 2015, responsible for developing and sustaining the success of the skyline-defining One Za’abeel and the community-building Deira Enrichment Project.  

Issam’s impact on Dubai’s hospitality and real estate sectors extends to his positions as Director and Board Member of Nakheel and Director of ICD Hospitality and Leisure. He also sits as Director and Board Member of Kerzner International Holdings Limited, Atlantis The Palm Holding Company Limited and Atlantis The Palm, overseeing the expansion and advancement of the prominent Atlantis brand with the development of Atlantis The Royal Resort and Residences, as well as the Director of Adriatic Marinas d.o.o., a landmark yacht marina and waterfront development in Montenegro. 

Additionally, Issam served as the CEO of Meydan and was on the Board of Emaar Financial services LLC; Emaar Middle East; Emaar Algeria; Emaar Misr for Development (Egypt); Emaar IGO (Syria); Emaar DHA Islamabad Ltd (Pakistan); Emaar Giga Karachi Limited (Pakistan); and Amlak Finance PJSC. 

His involvement in GMICE, PM Holdings LLC as Board Member, member of  U.A.E Society of Engineers, and the Institute of Civil Engineering in the UK, greatly inform his positive leadership, strategic directions, and diverse perspectives that have contributed to his proven record of accomplishment of improving sustainable revenues while monitoring costs on the plethora of complex projects delivered throughout his distinguished tenure.

Omar Khoory is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Ithra Dubai, the leading property development and asset management company in Dubai with innovative and iconic projects across residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality sectors.

As the former Chief Assets Officer at Nakheel, Omar played a pivotal role in overseeing the management, operation, leasing of the malls, destinations, developments, joint venture partnership, hospitality, and marinas. With over 18 years of experience at Nakheel, Omar’s strategic vision and pursuit of excellence significantly shaped the organization.

During his tenure, Omar spearheaded a comprehensive expansion strategy aimed at bringing the best experiences, luxury brands, and the highest quality partnerships to Nakheel. His impactful leadership has extended beyond organizational boundaries, contributing to the advancement of Dubai’s entire emirate.

Key highlights of Omar’s achievements include the successful opening of iconic destinations such as Nakheel Mall, The Pointe, and Circle Mall, as well as the development pipeline of upcoming retail assets including Nad Al Sheba Mall, Al Khail Mall, and Meydan Mall. He has also played a pivotal role in positioning Palm Jumeirah as premier leisure, dining, and tourism destination, attracting globally renowned brands, and elevating the emirate’s offerings.

Omar’s innovative approach is evident in his introduction and pioneering of the beach club concept, reshaping Dubai’s leisure, and tourism landscape. Notable projects under his leadership include Palm West Beach, Dubai Islands Beach, and The Club, which have become popular beach club and dining destinations. Additionally, he led the realization of The View at The Palm, a prestigious tourist attraction for the UAE.

In fostering strategic partnerships, Omar has been instrumental in developing join ventures across the industry. His leadership has been pivotal to Nakheel’s growth trajectory, including navigating through challenging times such as the Global Financial Crisis and the recent pandemic, where he implemented innovative tenant incentive schemes to drive growth beyond pre-COVID levels.

Committed to investing in people, Omar ensures the execution of strategies by nurturing high-performing teams and attracting top talent.

A Dubai native with an educational background in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from City, University of London, and a Leadership and Management certification from Wharton Executive Education, University of Pennsylvania, Omar is also a proud member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a global community of extraordinary leaders.

Raad has carved an impressive career across the UAE and the USA which spans over 35 years. He has developed several award-winning landmarks in the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, including the development of the Index Tower in Dubai, named the best tall building development in the MENA region in 2012. In addition to his role with Ithra Dubai, Raad frequently shares his insights at regional and international conferences and events, and has authored various articles on real estate developments.

Richard Showell is the Chief Financial Officer of Ithra Dubai, where he leads the company’s financial strategy, corporate finance initiatives, and governance frameworks to support the successful delivery of Ithra’s landmark developments and long-term objectives. In addition to his role at Ithra, Richard also holds senior positions within other Dubai Government-related entities, playing a key role in strategic financial transformation initiatives.

Richard has a proven track record in managing complex transactions, debt restructurings, and large-scale asset portfolios with over 20 years’ experience in finance and investment. Prior to joining Ithra, he served as CFO of Limitless and Head of Treasury for Nakheel, where he led the AED6.6 billion restructuring of Limitless and the successful sale of Nakheel’s district cooling assets. He was also a core team member in the multi-billion-dollar restructuring of Meydan.

Earlier in his career, Richard served as Director at Dubai World and Istithmar World, where he advised on high-value asset disposals, along with refinancing and restructuring strategies, across a diverse portfolio.

A qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA), Richard earned his BSc (Hons) in Geography and Sports Science from the University of Birmingham.

Graham brings with him over 25 years of experience in contracting, procurement, and organisation development functions across the GCC, Asia, and Europe. Immediately prior to joining Ithra Dubai, Graham was based in Oman where he was engaged as commercial director on the Muscat International and Salalah airport projects. He has been in Dubai for 14 years during which time he has held senior contracts and commercial positions within major government institutions and private real estate development companies.

Kristen Angus is the General Counsel and Company Secretary of Ithra Dubai, where she leads the company’s legal and compliance function, ensuring alignment between legal frameworks and strategic business objectives across development, leasing, sales, finance, HR, and IT.

With over 17 years of post-qualification experience—13 of which have been in the UAE—Kristen plays a pivotal role in enabling the successful delivery of landmark projects such as One Za’abeel and the Deira Enrichment Project. Her expertise includes commercial structuring, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance and litigation management all geared toward operational excellence and long-term value creation. 

Prior to joining Ithra Dubai, Kristen held legal roles at Clyde & Co LLP and Ashurst LLP in the UAE, advising on major real estate, project finance, and infrastructure transactions. She began her career at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP in London, qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Beyond her core legal remit, Kristen drives the development of corporate policies across areas such as,  data protection, employment and risk management. She also established Ithra Dubai’s legal precedents bank, senhancing legal efficiency and cross-departmental consistencyKristen holds a BA in History and Politics from Durham University and completed her legal training at Nottingham Law School.

Nicholas brings over 25 years of strategic leadership in human capital development, with a proven track record across diverse industries in the Middle East. As Executive Director Human Resources at Ithra Dubai, he plays a critical role in driving the company’s people strategy, aligning talent development with business growth and long-term organizational goals.

Prior to joining Ithra Dubai, Nicholas served as Group CHRO at National Holding, where he spearheaded transformative leadership and talent initiatives across a diversified portfolio. He previously held the roles of Group HR and Corporate Director and Secretary of the Board’s Corporate Governance, Remuneration, and Nominations Committee at Dana Gas PJSC, further strengthening the company’s governance and strategic HR alignment.

Earlier in his career, Nicholas held senior HR leadership roles with regional mandates at Universal Sodexo and Royal Dutch Shell in Saudi Arabia. Notably, he played a foundational role in establishing the HR function for a major joint venture between Shell, Total, and Saudi Aramco, while serving on the executive committee of Shell in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to his Chartered Fellow CIPD (FCIPD), Nicholas holds certifications in Board Secretarial Practice and ISO accreditations in Compliance MS, Business Continuity MS, and Risk Management. He is widely recognized for building agile HR functions, nurturing resilience, high-performance organizational cultures and championing the development of future-ready leadership across complex and fast-evolving organizations.