Ali Tabbal

Ali Tabbal is the Chief Financial Officer of Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's National Rail Network. In his role, Ali oversees the company’s financial operations, capital structure, debt management, budgeting, reporting, treasury, cash management, as well as its investment and risk functions.

A leader within the finance industry, Ali is spearheading the adoption of a green financing framework at Etihad Rail, aligning the company's financial strategies with its sustainability objectives. This successfully culminated in the green funding of Etihad Rail’s passenger services with First Abu Dhabi Bank for AED 1.99bn in February 2022.

Prior to his role at Etihad Rail, Ali served as the Chief Operating Officer of Modon Properties, where he played a pivotal role in formulating the company's initial operating model, strategy, and governance. He was also responsible for overseeing Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, and IT functions and managed a successful portfolio transition to Al Dar Properties in 2021.

Over the past three decades, his leadership and acumen have played a pivotal role in the triumphs of numerous global entities. For six years, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Kerzner International, where he was instrumental in driving the financial and operational restructure of the company and reviving its profitability. Prior to that, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Dubai Holding.

Before moving to the UAE, Ali began his finance career in banking in the United States, as an analyst at Chase Manhattan Bank. He relocated with Arthur Andersen as a Senior Financial Consultant on their Global Corporate Finance Team, where he contributed to strategic new developments and IPO transactions.

Ali earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance and a master’s degree in Financial Economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA.