Our Team

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Aisha Miran has more than 22 years of invaluable experience in the public sector, marked by a strategic focus on shaping governance and decision-making processes. Over the course of her career Aisha has demonstrated expertise in strategy management, strategic planning, performance management, policy making, and governance.

In her role as the new Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Aisha is spearheading efforts to enhance Dubai’s private education sector, aligning with emirate’s vision to solidify its position as a world-class hub for education.

Concurrently, she has been appointed to The Executive Council of Dubai, further cementing her influence in shaping policies and strategies for the emirate's socio-economic development.

In her previous role at The Executive Council, Aisha was instrumental in setting the strategic agenda for The Executive Council of Dubai and its Strategic Affairs Council. She was pivotal in establishing a world-class strategy execution system across the Government of Dubai, which was internationally recognised as a best practice by the Hall of Fame Award. 

She also introduced Qarar, the Dubai Government’s integrated smart decision support system, endorsed by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Through the system, information flows freely from information owners to government entities, to sector committees, to The Executive Council, and to the Ruler of Dubai, when required.

Under her leadership, Dubai also attained the ISO 37120 Platinum level certification, a pioneering recognition globally, alongside eight other cities in 2014. She also led the Dubai Government team in updating the emirate’s strategic plan for 2021 (Dubai Plan 2021), launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai in December 2014.

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and with close supervision of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Protection of Rights of People with Disabilities, Aisha led the emirate’s efforts to transform Dubai into an accessible-friendly city by 2020.

Aisha holds an EMBA from the American University of Sharjah, an Executive Diploma in Public Administration from the National University of Singapore, and certifications in Balanced Scorecard Practice. 

She is a graduate of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development, showcasing her dedication to continuous learning and professional growth. 

Aisha is a member of the UAE Education and Human Resources Council. She is also a board member of the Digital School, one of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and on the board of trustees of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and Dubai National University, and a member of the board of TECOM Group.

Aisha has represented Dubai Government in numerous international conferences and co-authored multiple cases on performance and strategy management. Her remarkable career began with The Executive Office, where she played a key role in projects such as the establishment of the Dubai Institute for Human Resource Development and the Dubai Government performance management system.

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As CEO of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB), Fatma Belrehif leads the team that sets the standards for, and assures the quality of, private schools in Dubai. Ms Belrehif was part of the original team that started inspecting Dubai private schools in 2008. Since that time, she has seen the proportion of students attending schools rated as ‘good’ or better increase from 30 to 66 per cent.

She attributes this considerable improvement in the quality of provision to the hard work put in by schools and their communities, guided by aspirational, shared standards and rigorous annual inspections. She believes that the inspection process has helped to raise expectations of students, parents and teachers alike. "It is a privilege for me to go into schools to meet students, parents, and teachers, and to work with them to help them to improve their schools" she says.

A vocal advocate for the inclusion of students of determination in schools, Ms Belrehif chairs the Inclusive Education Task Force, which was set up by the Dubai Executive Education Council. She is also passionate about students’ holistic development and sits on the National Moral Education Committee.

Ms Belrehif is active in helping ensure that Emirati students make good progress in their learning. "It is very heartening to see Emirati students working towards achieving their potential, and gaining lifelong-learning skills that enable them to become better team members, better leaders, better parents and better citizens."

Ms Belrehif holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in public administration. In 2008, Ms Belrehif was recognised as a Distinguished Employee by the Dubai Government Excellence Programme. She graduated from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development in 2006.

As the quality of education in Dubai private schools continues to improve, Ms Belrehif looks ahead. "We are proud of the efforts made by our educational community to improve outcomes for children" she says. "At the same time, we always have more to do; we always have more to give."

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Dr Wafi Dawood is responsible for building and improving the education and human development strategy in Dubai. Along with his team, his work is focused on reaching the targets of the UAE 2021 National Agenda. Working with his team, he helps to achieve Dubai’s strategic plan and promote Dubai as a centre for world-class education.  

Dr Dawood’s role includes seeking and attracting new ideas and opportunities that will support meaningful change for KHDA, for Dubai and for the UAE. “I always look for international best practices in institution development that will create unique experiences for government stakeholders and help create a culture of innovation,” says Dr Dawood.

Dr Wafi Dawood led KHDA’s involvement in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) programme, and was instrumental in helping KHDA to be the first organisation in the Middle East to be awarded the 5 Stars Recognised for Excellence Award.

Dr Dawood holds a Ph.D. in Performance Management and a Master's Degree in Engineering Management, both from the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom. He is a graduate of the Sheikh Mohammed Leadership Programme. Dr Dawood has published a number of articles in the field of quality management and institutional performance, and is a key speaker at many international conferences focusing on institutional development.

In 2004, Dr Dawood was recognised as a Distinguished Employee of Dubai Government by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dr Dawood was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dubai Quality Group between 2009 and 2010, and the Vice Chairman of the Global Benchmarking Network from 2007 to 2008. Previously, Dr Dawood was the Director of Corporate Performance & Quality at Dubai World Trade Centre, Quality Senior Manager at DP World.

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As the head of Business Support, Dr. Abdulrahman Nassir is responsible for allocating and guiding KHDA’s resources and talents in ways that enable people to be happier and more productive.

The practices and processes followed by Dr. Nassir’s team reflect the culture of KHDA: transparent, innovative and focused on improving people’s wellbeing. "The happiness of people is my work and my passion, and I always feel that every task should eventually lead to a smile on someone's face," says Dr. Nassir.

Dr. Abdulrahman Nassir has a professional background in human resources management. He has a PhD degree in Business Management from the British University in Dubai , a Master's degree in Quality Management from the University of Wollongong, as well as a passion for communication.

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From former school teacher and principal, to current policy maker and thought leader, Fatma Al Marri has been involved in all facets of education.

One of her main objectives is in supporting students enrolled in private education in Dubai.  Her priorities lie in helping Emirati parents make confident, informed choices for their children’s schools, promoting Emirati national identity in private schools and in recruiting more Emirati teachers to the private education sector.

“National identity is not only about celebrating national days,” she says.  “It’s in daily life; it’s in the exposure Emirati students have to a teacher, to a curriculum. It’s how we interact with each other, with the world.”
 
Through initiatives such as Living Arabic, Ms Al Marri and her team work closely with schools and teachers to improve the quality of Arabic language teaching and learning in all schools in Dubai. She is a champion of the UAE Moral Education curriculum, working with school leaders and parents to help Dubai students receive an education that is grounded in the values of respect, kindness and compassion. Ms Al Marri’s work also contributes to the achievement of the UAE 2021 National Agenda targets, which benchmarks student outcomes in the UAE with those in the rest of the world.

From 2007 to 2011, Ms Al Marri was one of nine women appointed as a member of the Federal National Council (FNC), serving on its educational policies committee and working with ministries on education related concerns.  “It was a very enlightening experience,” she says, “because it gave me the opportunity to look at education issues from another angle – I was able to understand them more clearly.”

Ms Al Marri envisions an education landscape where all schools in Dubai work together.  “It’s true that techniques and approaches are different,” she says, “but this is something we should take advantage of.  We all have the same objectives, after all.”

To reflect this collaborative approach to education, Ms Al Marri has served on the board of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University since 2010. In 2017 she also joined the board of trustees of the Higher Colleges of Technology in addition to her role on the board of Knowledge Fund Establishment.

Passionate about preserving the Arabic language, Ms Al Marri is a senior member of the Arabic Language Advisory Council. She is a member of Dubai Traffic Safety committee and The Dubai Appreciation Award for Community Service which aims to honour those who demonstrate commitment to social responsibility.

In support of furthering women’s ambitions, Ms Al Marri is also a board member of Reach, an NGO that aims to empower women.

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Mr Al Suwaidi is the "happiness maker" of KHDA, both for external customers such as schools and parents, and for colleagues internally. With his team ‘Hayakum’ – meaning ‘delight’ in Arabic – he ensures that customers are served compassionately and effectively, providing services such as certification and equivalence of certificates, transfer of students, and enabling students to have access to the best quality education possible.

Mr Al Suwaidi works to create a welcoming environment for guests, which includes a concierge service that connects them with the appropriate KHDA team member, caters for their needs during their visit, and ensures they are comfortable and happy throughout.

"Making our guests happy makes me happy, and my goal is to provide support in ways that our guests don’t expect. This is the culture of KHDA, and the culture of our Hayakum team. We always say ‘If you’re happy talk to us, and if you’re not happy, talk to us,” he says.

Mr Al Suwaidi holds a Bachelor of Administrative Sciences from Zayed University and has earned a diploma as part of his work with the National Programme of Happiness and Positivity.

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Dr. Naji Al Mahdi has extensive experience in the managerial, strategic and operational aspects of technical education and vocational training. He has taught at higher and further education institutions and delivered professional development programmes to senior educators for more than two decades.

Dr. Al Mahdi currently heads the National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE), established in 2006 under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to provide students with the opportunity to gain specific job competencies geared to enhancing their employability and progression at work and higher education. NIVE is an autonomously managed organisation affiliated with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA. 

Dr. Al Mahdi provides consultancy and technical services in the field of vocational education; prepares and publishes research and studies in the field of vocational education; and coordinates with public and private organisations to align NIVE’s offerings with the requirements of the labor market.

Dr. Al Mahdi’s role involves developing Dubai's technical and vocational training and education strategy - a top priority to support Dubai in meeting its future aspirations and positioning it as a destination for technical and vocational education and training. He also oversees the offering of vocational qualifications and the conferral of diplomas and degrees in professional disciplines;

Dr. Al Mahdi holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in engineering and numerical analysis from the UK. He was also a research fellow at the Fulbright Small Business Development Programme in the United States of America. Dr Al Mahdi is a member of UAE Vocational Education and Training Awards Commission (VETAC) and a number of national and international educational committees and advisory groups.