Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), a not-for-profit organisation that has been advancing arts, education, culture and creativity in Abu Dhabi since 1996.

ADMAF Patron & President:
H.E. Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Honourable ADMAF Patrons
H.E. Shekha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan & H.H. Sheikha Sheikha bint Saif Al Nahyan

Abu Dhabi Festival Founder & Artistic Director:
Hoda Al-Khamis Kanoo

ADMAF Advisors:
H.E. Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash
H.E. Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash is the Minister of Labour of the UAE.His Excellency graduated from the Police College in Sudan in 1973. He also obtained a Bachelor's degree in administration from the UAE University in 1986. He was promoted to the grade of minister and named UAE Ambassador to the United States. He was undersecretary at the then Ministry of Information and Culture from 1997 to 2005. He was Under Secretary of the Ministry of Interior between May 1991 and December 1997.

H.E. Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei
H.E. Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei is the Advisor for Cultural & Heritage Affairs at the Court of H.H. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Director General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH). The Authority is responsible for the preservation of the heritage of the region and has as its goal making culture a part of everyday life in the United Arab Emirates, and to establish Abu Dhabi as a global cultural capital.
Under Al Mazrouei’s leadership, ADACH has launched a wide range of projects, including two of the most successful television programs in the Arab world – The Million’s Poet and The Prince of Poets; the Abu Dhabi Film Festival; the Abu Dhabi Film Commission; the New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi; Sounds of Arabia; the Sheikh Zayed Book Award; the Kalima book translation project; the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair; the Mazayin Al-Dhafrah camel festival; the publication of the English-language newspaper, The National; and the publication of the Arabic and English magazine, Shawati. He is a founder of both the Academy of Poetry and Beit el-Oud, which specializes in teaching music to young Emiratis.
Through Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), of which he was chairman, Al-Mazrouei launched The National, the first English-language newspaper in Abu Dhabi. Other notable achievements with ADMC include the National Geographic Abu Dhabi Channel; the Abu Dhabi Media Summit; the launch of the careers of dozens of talented UAE broadcasters; the significant development of the Abu Dhabi sports channels; and the launch of imagenation abu dhabi, a body that finances and makes films.
His Excellency holds a Bachelors degree in Public Administration from the UAE University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Portland, United States. He has devoted much of his professional life to public service, with a special focus on the education sector in the UAE.

H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak
Educated in the USA, His Excellency entered a career in construction and real estate, becoming CEO of the Mubadala Development Company. He sits on a number of boards, is a member of the Executive Council for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is chairman of Executive Affairs Authority. Since the takeover of Manchester City Football Club by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008, he has been chairman at the club.
His Excellency was born in Abu Dhabi and educated in the USA where he obtained a degree in Economics and Finance from Tufts University. His career began as a sales-executive at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
His Excellency is a businessman involved in construction and real estate. After working at the oil company, he was employed by the UAE Offsets Group, where he held a number of positions within the company.  Since then he has been Executive Vice President-Corporate at Dolphin Energy. He is the CEO and managing director of government-owned investment company Mubadala Development. In May 2005 he was appointed vice-chairman of Oasis International Leasing, an Abu Dhabi based leasing company. Through Mubadala Development, His Excellency is chairman of the Imperial College London Diabetes Center (ICLDC) which opened in Abu Dhabi in 2006, vice chairman of Piaggio Aero, and vice chairman of LeasePlan. As well as this he sits on many boards including ALDAR Properties, Emirates Foundation and First Gulf Bank.
When the Abu Dhabi government was restructured in 2006, His Excellency became chairman of Executive Affairs Authority and a member of the Executive Council for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He is also an Abu Dhabi Education Council member, a director of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ABCED), and chairman of the Organization & Administration Department. Al Mubarak is co-chair of the United States Chamber of Commerce's U.S.–U.A.E. Business Council, which was established in 2007, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority, and vice chairman of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council which was established in 2007.

H.E. Razan Al Mubarak
HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak is Secretary General of the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Managing Director of the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF).
In her capacity, Her Excellency plays a key role in forging partnerships and agreements with government authorities in the UAE, conceptualizing the delivery of campaign and communication strategies, documentation of local knowledge and its use in environmental decision making, as well as developing and maintaining relations with businesses and industries.
One of the projects Her Excellency is directly involved in is the Coral Reef Conservation Project, which uses latest technology and scientific thought to conserve and protect the unique and threatened coral reef habitats in the Arabian Gulf. 
Her Excellency holds a MSc in Public Understanding of Environmental Change from the University College London, UK. She also holds a BA (Hons) in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University, Medford, USA.
Her Excellency has also been active in the cultural and educational scene in the UAE where she is a board advisor to ADMAF; and advisory council member for TAWTEEN - a federal initiative that aims to promote the employment of UAE citizens in the private sector. 
Her Excellency is also a board member to the African Wildlife Foundation, Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort, and board member and managing director of The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.

H.E. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh
H.E. Dr Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh was born in Jerusalem and educated in Jerusalem and the United Kingdom before settling in Abu Dhabi. He joined the government of Abu Dhabi in 1968 as the official interpreter of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed. Today, he remains the official translator of His Highness the President, and is one of the advisors to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. His Excellency is Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Authority, a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Documentation and Research, a member of the Board of Directors of the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the President of the Abu Dhabi Concert Committee in addition to many other positions.
H.E. Dr Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh has published translations of Gulf and Arab poetry into several European languages.

H.E. Reem Al Shemari
Her Excellency Reem Yousif Al Shemari is the General Manager of the Office of The Brand of Abu Dhabi (OBAD), the entity established by Executive Council resolution to manage the roll out and implementation of the Abu Dhabi brand, locally and internationally, as well as act as the guardian and patron of the reputation of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Her Excellency also holds the position of Senior Strategic Communications Advisor for the Executive Affairs Authority (EAA) - a specialized government agency that provides policy advice to the Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
In this role, Her Excellency is responsible for providing strategic communications advice and program implementation to the Government of Abu Dhabi across all areas of its operations, including policy development, international public diplomacy programs and special projects.
Her Excellency’s key career achievements include contributing to the creation of the Government of Abu Dhabi’s first-ever policy agenda for the Emirate, managing the annual Abu Dhabi Awards campaign and driving the development of the national Brand of Abu Dhabi. As a result of her involvement in the development of the Abu Dhabi brand, Her Excellency was appointed to the position of General Manager of OBAD.
In addition to her positions at the EAA and OBAD, Her Excellency sits on the Board of Directors for the Abu Dhabi Media Zone (twofour54), as well as in the Board of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and recently, in the Board of Flash, which is a wholly-owned Abu Dhabi Government events company. She serves on the Zayed University National Advisory Board for the College of Business Sciences. She is also a member of the Breast Cancer Task Force for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Her Excellency began her career at Zayed University as a researcher in the Socio-Economic Centre, and Media and Student Activities Coordinator. She then moved to Mubadala Development Company, an investment vehicle wholly owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, to work as a Senior Communications Officer.
Her Excellency holds an Executive Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Marketing from Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, graduated with honors.

Princess Irina of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Princess Irina Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is the owner of S-W Consulting, which initiates and facilitates business relations between Germany and Poland.
She has been actively involved in civil society for over three decades. Among her achievements, of which there are many, she co-founded Innocence in Danger - Berlin, an international network against the sexual abuse of children in 2001. Between 1996 and 2000, she served as Co-founder of the Pro Infantibus association, which fosters the training of paediatricians and obstetricians in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2000, she has served as President of Frauen für Europa – Germany. Since 2001, she has been a committee member of the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw. Since 2009, she has been a committee member for the nomination of Lublin as the European Cultural Capital 2016.
Princess Irina Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is a recipient of the German Federal Cross of Merit; the Polonia TV Award for promoting Poland abroad; the Rheinlandtaler medal of the Rhineland Regional Council LVR; the Order of Merit of the Order of Malta; and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. In 1994, she was awarded the Women of Europe Award – Germany.

Terence D. Allen
Terence Allen has been a banker and financer for over 40 years. After a career with various banks in London between 1966 and 1982, Mr. Allen joined National Bank of Abu Dhabi and became Head of the Investment Bank. In 1986, he was asked to join Manufacturers Hanover Trust (now J.P. Morgan) as Managing Director of Investment Banking.
In 1988, he decided to return to the Middle East as a consultant and advisor. He held various directorships of investment management companies and was appointed as an advisor to both Government of Abu Dhabi and Government of Qatar. In 1995, he rejoined NBAD and ran the Investment Bank until 2004.
In 2004, he founded UNFC LLC – an advisory company for the Abu Dhabi ruling family. In 2007, he formed Allied Investment Partners PJSC – an investment banking company providing financial services for the region. He is a registered arbitrator for the GCC since 1995. He is the author of several books. The subjects range from military history to financial & banking topics. 
Mr. Allen is married. His leisure time activities include history, classical music, spectator sport, reading and traveling.

Frauke Heard-Bey
Dr. Frauke Heard-Bey was born in Germany. She studied History and Political Science in Heidelberg and Berlin, obtaining her Ph.D. from the Freie Universität in Berlin in 1967.
Dr. Frauke has been residing in Abu Dhabi since 1967. In 1969 she joined the recently established Centre for Documentation and Research in Abu Dhabi, which is dedicated to the collection of archive material from all over the world pertaining to the Gulf and the adjacent regions.
Dr. Frauke has published in English, German, French and Arabic in leading journals and handbooks for historical, sociological and Middle Eastern studies. In 1982, she published her book "From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates, A Society in Transition", the first comprehensive history of the United Arab Emirates.

Salem Brahimi
Salem Brahimi is a producer and founder of Wamip Films, a company, which he created in 2001. A business school graduate, Brahimi entered the cinema industry as a trainee, becoming the assistant to Costa-Gavras, before becoming a production manager on many films. Brahimi also co-wrote ‘The Angel of Tar’, a Québécois feature film by Denis Chouinard. Brahimi was born in 1972 and spend his childhood in London, Algiers and Tunis. He produced the 2006 film ‘My Colonel’ with Olivier Gourmet and Charles Aznavour; in 2007 ‘Gallic Cartridges’ (2007) by Mehdi Charef featuring Hamada, Thomas Millet, Tolga Cayir, Julien Amate, Zahia Said, and Assia Brahmi.
Mr Brahimi is an ADMAF Advisor, advising the Foundation in particularly on its support of the UAE film industry and its encouragement of emerging and established independent Emirati filmmakers.

Mary Corrado
Mary Corrado has served as Country Director of AMIDEAST/UAE since 1996. She manages staff and the activities of its offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah that deliver a variety of professional and student training services including the administration of over 18,000 Institutional TOEFL tests per year, over 800 TOEIC tests per year, and the delivery of the CFA (Certified Financial Analyst) exam twice a year in the UAE to as many as 2700 candidates per session.
Previously, she was a teacher at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) English Language Training Center, was responsible for the ADNOC Scholars Program and taught English with emphasis on developing reading and writing skills to ADNOC employees. Between 1970 and 1977, she assisted, advised and counseled the first students from the United Arab Emirates to attend American universities.
Mrs Corrado has a BS in Nursing from the University of Minnesota and received a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the University of Cambridge in 1995.
She is affiliated to TESOL Arabia and TESOL USA and is a member of Board of Governors of Al Shohub School for Girls in Abu Dhabi.

Bashir Al Haskouri

H.E. Noura Al Kaabi
Noura Al Kaabi joined twofour54 during the start-up stages of the company. As Head of tawasol (one-stop-shop), Mrs Al Kaabi is responsible for services for companies locating in Abu Dhabi. This includes functions such as property management, encompassing commercial and residential services, support services, and government services. The role of tawasol is to assist partner companies and their employees to settle into Abu Dhabi life with ease.
Prior to joining twofour54, Mrs Al Kaabi held positions in HR and administration at Dolphin Energy Limited, in which she was in charge of taking role enunciation and job easements and as an IT Support Manager at the Zayed Military Hospital.
Mrs Al Kaabi currently sits on the Advisory Board for Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Tawteen an initiative by Emirates Foundation designed to empower young Emirati men and women to unlock their potential and pursue meaningful private sector employment.
Mrs Al Kaabi graduated from the UAE University with a Bachelor’s degree in management information systems.

Mohammed Abdul Latif Kanoo
Mohamed Abdul Latif Kanoo was born in Bahrain into a family who has had a great interest in the arts for generations. In 1990, his father, Dr. Abdul Latif Jassim Kanoo, founded the Beit Al Quran museum in Bahrain, which specializes in Islamic and Quranic manuscripts and art. Mr Kanoo studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Texas at Austin and Monetary Economics at the American University in Washington D.C. He lives in Abu Dhabi, where he is a senior executive in the Kanoo Group, his family business. Furthermore Mr Kanoo is the co-owner of Ghaf Gallery, the first independent art gallery to be established in Abu Dhabi. He is a passionate artist, working in a style inspired by pop-art and has exhibited internationally to widespread acclaim.

Shaikha Al Maskari
Dr. Shaikha Al Maskari is the Chairperson of the Tricon Group located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has extensive years of experience from Geology, Financial Management, and Environment Conservation to TQM.
Born in the UAE, Dr. Al Maskari received her BA from the University of London and her MA/PhD (Geology) from Indiana University. Her first love for geophysics led her to a professional career as a trainee geophysicist with the US Geological Survey prior to joining the ADNOC Group in the UAE. Ten years were spent at ADNOC in petroleum development, operations and management before she assumed the Chairmanship of the family company, Tricon Energy Operations in 1989.
Under her leadership and management initiatives, Tricon Group has been transformed into a conglomerate comprising 20 multinational firms with strong international partnerships, six of which are with government linked corporations in Singapore, Oman, Qatar and Portugal.

Zahra Al Masood

Raymond Mouracadé
Raymond Mouracadé is a specialist IT Lawyer. He worked for 17 years as in-house counselor at IBM where he held management and executive positions in the Law department before moving to the United Arab Emirates in 1999 as a private practitioner and establishing Jurisgulf in Dubai, in October 2000.
Mr Mouracadé has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, Russia, and the Middle East. He holds a French Master’s Degree in Law from Lyon University, a Lebanese Law Degree from St. Joseph University and a Diploma in Shipping Law from University College London. He is admitted to the Beirut Bar. He is fluent in English, French, Italian, and Arabic.
Mr Mouracadé’s areas of practice include Agency & Distributorship, E-Commerce, Franchising, International Investments, Joint Ventures, and Mediation.

Ian Stoutzker OBE
Ian Stoutzker played an active role in London's musical life while maintaining a highly successful business career in the banking sector. A former student of the violin, he attended the Royal College of Music, where he is now a Vice-President and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 1968. He was Chairman and then President of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1972-79, and since 1992 has been Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the London Symphony Orchestra and Trustee of the Foundation. He has also been Chairman of the Royal Concert Committee since 1999.
In 1977 Mr. Stoutzker joined with Yehudi Menuhin to found Live Music Now, an outreach organization that presents interactive performances and music workshops to children and adults throughout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Since 1994, he has been co-chairman of The Voices Foundation, a U.K. based charity that uses a singing-based approach to enhance music education programs in primary schools and the wider community. He is also on the Board of Governors of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. He was awarded an OBE in 1993.

Saeed Al Balushi

Advisory Committee:
All members involved in festival logistics, with representation from Protocol, ADMAF and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.