18 Local Government Leadership Leaders in the UAE
*Last updated 12 August 2026.*
Leadership development in local government is practical work. It is about building the judgement, confidence and habits that help public servants make better decisions, lead change and keep improving the services people rely on.
The United Arab Emirates offers several useful examples because leadership development is often tied to human capital, service design, digital change, municipal work and future readiness. The people below are not presented as a ranking. They are a navigational list of current leaders whose roles or public work connect clearly with the development of people and government capability.
Why leadership development matters in local government
Local government leaders work close to the daily experience of residents, businesses and communities. A leadership programme only matters when it changes how a team thinks, decides, learns and delivers. That is why the strongest examples connect learning with real work such as service redesign, succession planning, public-sector transformation and municipal operations.
The official programmes behind this list show that pattern in different ways. Abu Dhabi’s Al Jadaara programme uses practical application, decision-making simulations, job rotations and mentoring. Dubai Municipality’s Future Leadership Programme links leadership modules with operational challenges and succession planning. Ras Al Khaimah’s human capital strategy places leadership talent inside a broader future-ready workforce system.
Leaders to know
Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab
Chairman, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
His remit includes human capital development, learning initiatives and policies that upskill government employees and build a lasting ecosystem of government leaders. This makes Ahmed Al Kuttab a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Ibrahim Nassir
Undersecretary, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
He leads the human capital and procurement agendas, with a stated focus on learning and development, organisational change and innovation across Abu Dhabi government entities. This makes Ibrahim Nassir a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Ruba Youssef Al Hassan
Director General, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
Her background spans public policy, government transformation, the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance and the Ghadan 21 reform programme. This makes Ruba Al Hassan a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Yasir Al Naqbi
Director General, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
He is dedicated to empowering leadership and nurturing talent, and previously led leadership and capabilities programmes at the UAE Prime Minister’s Office. This makes Yasir Al Naqbi a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Mariam Mohamed AlMusharrekh
Director General of Government Talent, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
She leads integrated talent strategies and has led leadership development, organisational development, Emiratisation and structured career pathways. This makes Mariam AlMusharrekh a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Saeed Abdulwahid Al Mulla
Director General, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
His service design and transformation work connects leadership with the practical task of redesigning government services and raising service standards. This makes Saeed Al Mulla a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Wesam Lootah
Director General, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
His public-sector career includes digital leadership, Dubai Municipality’s Corporate Support Services Sector and Dubai Smart Government Establishment. This makes Wesam Lootah a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Mohamed Abdelhameed Al Askar
Director General, Department of Government Enablement - Abu Dhabi
He oversees TAMM and combines digital strategy with research interests that include psychology, artificial intelligence and human development. This makes Mohamed Al Askar a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita
Director General, Dubai Municipality
Dubai Municipality launched a Future Leadership Programme under his leadership to prepare second- and third-line leaders and strengthen succession planning. This makes Marwan bin Ghalita a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Abdulla Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi
Director-General, Dubai Government Human Resources Department
He has used research, collaboration and human capital initiatives to support innovation and better performance across the Dubai government workplace. This makes Abdulla Al Falasi a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri
Executive President, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government
He leads a school whose education, training and research work is designed to enable future leaders and strengthen government capabilities. This makes Ali Al Marri a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid
Director General, Community Development Authority - Dubai
She attended the second cohort launch of Empowering Future Leaders, a partnership designed to prepare government leaders for transformation and future challenges. This makes Hessa Buhumaid a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
He has supported a leadership development programme that DEWA says has helped develop executive leaders for Dubai and federal government roles. This makes Saeed Al Tayer a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Abdullah Ibrahim Al Zaabi
Chairman, Sharjah Department of Human Resources
He has backed leadership sessions, employee development and a culture of innovation and empowerment across Sharjah government entities. This makes Abdullah Al Zaabi a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Majid Hamad Al Marri
Director, Sharjah Department of Human Resources
He works with the department’s directors and teams on performance, operational efficiency, service quality and a stronger work environment. This makes Majid Al Marri a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Rashed Abdulrahman Sultan Bin Jebran Al Suwaidi
Director General, Department of Human Resources - Ajman Government
He represented Ajman in the launch of Jahiz, a future-skills platform intended to build the capabilities and readiness of government employees. This makes Rashed Al Suwaidi a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Sarah Ahmed Al Zaabi
Director General, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Human Resources
She has described human capital as a strategic priority and leads a department focused on future-ready workforce development and leadership talent. This makes Sarah Al Zaabi a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
Aisha Abdulla Miran
Director General, Knowledge and Human Development Authority - Dubai
She leads a major Dubai government authority whose work sits at the intersection of education, capability and human development. This makes Aisha Miran a useful person to watch when the work is about building capability, guiding change or connecting leadership with public service. Read the official source.
How to use this list
Use the list as a starting point for learning, partnership research or public-sector leadership conversations. If you are studying a particular emirate, read the linked official source first because roles, programmes and responsibilities can change. The most useful question is not who is famous. It is which leadership practice could be adapted to the work your own team needs to do next.
Frequently asked questions
What does leadership development mean in local government?
It means building the capability to lead public work well. That can include succession planning, talent development, service transformation, innovation, strategic communication, organisational change and the everyday habits that help teams make sound decisions.
Are these people ranked?
No. The order is a neutral navigation choice, grouped around current public sources and the practical connection between each person’s role and leadership or capability development.
Where can a team learn more?
Start with the official sources linked in each entry, then consider the wider work of building team clarity and shared responsibility. Consult Clarity’s Working Genius FAQ, strategy leadership guide and team offsite enquiry page offer related starting points for leadership teams.
Related reading
For a practical way to think about team contribution, read the Working Genius FAQ. For strategy and leadership questions, see the strategy leadership guide. For a facilitated team conversation, visit the team offsite enquiry page.
A practical next step
Pick one leadership behaviour your team needs more of, describe what it would look like in daily work, and give one person the authority to practise it this week. Small, visible experiments turn leadership development from an event into a habit.
About the author
Jonno White helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at. His work is practical rather than motivational, giving leaders something they can use on Monday morning.