DUBAI PRECIOUS METALS CONFERENCE

Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | DMCC

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading international business district in 2025 with over 25,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 90,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2023, DMCC was named ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record ninth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working in 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project, the Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process (KP) in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the KP for 2016. Mr Bin Sulayem was reappointed Chair of the KP for a historic second time in 2024, and has continued his leadership role with the position of Custodian Chair in 2025.

H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Minister of Foreign Trade

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Trade. He is
responsible for leading the development of non-oil foreign trade, the expansion of global trade partnerships,
and increasing UAE exports.

As part of his role, H.E. Al Zeyoudi leads the nation’s efforts to secure Comprehensive Economic
Partnerships Agreements (CEPAs) with strategic allies around the world, which supports the UAE’s aim to
boost non-oil trade to $1.1 trillion by 2031. In May 2022, the first of these CEPAs, and the first ever bilateral
deal signed by the UAE, was concluded with long-standing trade and investment partner India.

H.E. Al Zeyoudi’s leadership in global trade was recognized with his appointment as Chair of the 13th
Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC13) held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, where
he was instrumental in ensuring the successful delivery of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, a package of
agreements that helped to advance open, rules-based trade.

H.E. Al Zeyoudi also overseas efforts to enhance the UAE’s investment climate and strengthen its position
as a prime destination for business and investments at both regional and global levels. This includes his
portfolio as Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, in which he ensures the best global
talents have the pathways, incentives and opportunities to contribute to the UAE’s long-term economic
objectives. H.E. Al Zeyoudi’s leadership in this area has helped to strengthen the UAE’s position as a
preferred destination for global talent and increase the UAE’s economic competitiveness on the world stage.

H.E. Al Zeyoudi also serves as Vice Chairman of the Industry Development Council and Chairman of the
Council’s Executive Committee, as well as Deputy Chairman of Etihad Credit Insurance’s Board of Directors.
He is also a member of the Supreme Committee for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the
decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Trade in June 2025, he held the position of Minister of State
for Foreign Trade (2020-2025), and also previously served as Minister of Climate Change and Environment
(2016-2020), where he supervised the implementation of the country’s strategies on climate action,
agricultural development, animal husbandry and fisheries, in addition to combating desertification and
preserving biodiversity.

Andrew Naylor

Head of Middle East and Policy
World Gold Council

Andrew Naylor is Head of Middle East and Public Policy at the World Gold Council. He joined the Council in 2016 and leads on policy initiatives including ASGM formalisation, AML/TF, and Islamic Finance. He heads the WGC office in the UAE and is a regulator gold market commentator on Bloomberg, CNBC and Sky News. He is an ACAMS-certified anti-money laundering specialist and has bachelors and masters degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ayoub Ahli

Founding Member
Dubai Business Group for Bullion and Gold Refinery

Ayoub Ahli works at a Retail & Logistics Expert, International Trade and an Entrepreneur.

With a distinguished career spanning over two decades in both government and private sectors, Ayoub Ahli is recognized as a visionary leader in retail, logistics, and international trade. As the lead negotiator for Rules of Origin, Ayoub has been instrumental in the successful completion of the UAE's CEPA agreements with nations including India, Indonesia, Israel, Turkey, Colombia, Cambodia, Georgia, and Ukraine. His adept negotiation of industry-friendly Rules of Origin has significantly enhanced the benefits for UAE industries.

Ayoub is an integral member of the GCC Rules of Origin technical working group, representing the UAE in the negotiation and implementation of GCC FTAs. His focused efforts on the UAE Bullion industry have led to the inclusion of the UAE Good Delivery (UGD) standard in the UAE-India CEPA implementation, thereby elevating the international profile and interest in the UGD certificate.

Actively involved in bullion and precious metals trade issues arising from CEPA implementation, Ayoub also participates in the Trading Goods subcommittee of the UAE-India CEPA, addressing key trade concerns and fostering robust economic ties.
Ayoub recently joined the management team in Emirates Post Group as the General Manager for Emirates Post Retail unit.

Fahmi Iskander

CIO / Partner
O Gold Precious Metals

As Partner and Chief Investment Officer at O Gold, I am driven by a deep belief in the power of physical gold to fuel innovation in financial technology. We've built the fastest growing Emirati app for fractional gold ownership. Our mission is bold but simple, to modernize an ancient monetary system by creating a border-less habitat where physical gold is seamlessly accessed, owned, and used as spendable currency.

With over 20 years experience as an entrepreneur and investor, I’ve launched, scaled, and exited multiple successful ventures across FinTech and e-commerce. I’ve also been an early backer of high-potential startups across Africa and Europe, especially those driving digital transformation and industry disruption.

We are democratizing precious metal ownership through Tokenization and fractionalization thus empowering low and middle income families to get into valuable asset class ownership and investing. All through an ethical Shariah Compliant gold backed ecosystem.

I hold a PhD in Business Psychology, and remain active as both a philanthropist and a proud member of the Rotary Club, committed to contributing to lasting, meaningful change. I believe in leaving a legacy that bears witness to you having made a tangible change and a positive contribution to humanity.

Jeffrey Rhodes

Chief Executive
Goldstrom Advisory

After over 45 years of involvement in the international precious metals industry working with major bullion banks and financial institutions, Jeffrey established Rhodes Precious Metals Consultancy DMCC in 2013 to provide specialist, bespoke management, and consultancy services to companies already active in the global precious metals industry that wish to grow and expand their business, and to aspiring new entries to the world of gold, silver, and the platinum group of metals. In 2021 he joined the Goldstrom Group, headquartered in Singapore and heads up Goldstrom Advisory. Widely recognized as a leading figure in the international bullion market, with a career spanning both four continents and four decades, Jeffrey helped his previous employers to develop their precious metals portfolios around the world and specifically in the Middle East region and Indian Sub-Continent with considerable success, particularly in Dubai’s expanding physical gold market. Most recently Jeffrey has led the Goldstrom Advisory project to help The Royal Mint develop a significant foothold in the UAE and Qatar, and is fully engaged in TRM’s expansion into the wider GCC economic block that includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait, Jeffrey advised on the RAKGOLD initiative for National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah, successfully helping to turn the SME focussed UAE Bank into the Middle East region’s first ever, end to end, bullion bank that provides its’ clients with a complete range of physical, hedging, derivative and banking precious metals products and services. Other major clients include, or have included, Dubai Multi Commodity Centre, Dubai Gold and Commodity Exchange, Jawhara Jewellery, Al Suleiman Jewellers (Qatar), Al Fardan Group (Qatar), Essel Group (Zee TV),

Michael DiRienzo

President & CEO
The Silver Institute

Michael DiRienzo serves as the President & CEO of the Silver Institute;an international association whose membership comprises the major participants in the silver industry. In that capacity, Michael manages the Institute’s overall daily activities, budget development and management, implementing the annual plan, public affairs, and government relations activities.

He also served as Vice President of the Gold Institute, managing that association’s government and public relations activities. Formerly, Michael served as Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary to the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, U.S. Congressman David Dreier (R-CA). During his tenure with the Chairman, Michael worked on House Banking Committee and Rules Committee issues.

Michael Lawrence

Chief Executive
Asia House

Michael Lawrence leads the Asia House team in delivering business and market intelligence to some of the world’s biggest companies and governments in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Michael was appointed Chief Executive in September 2012 after a distinguished career as a journalist, editor and executive in international media. He has developed Asia House into the premier UK-based institution on Asia and the Middle East, chairing high-level dialogues between senior political figures and multinational businesses.

Michael is in regular conversations with global leaders in foreign affairs, finance, trade, technology and national development, and can offer valuable perspectives on how to navigate the intersection between economic, security and political issues.

Prior to joining Asia House, Michael spent 18 years at Reuters (later Thomson Reuters), the international news and financial information organisation, where he held several senior positions including Global Editor (2006-2012). In his roles at Reuters, Michael was on the frontline of all major international news events as they evolved over more than 30 years.

Michael was awarded an OBE in the King’s 2023 New Year Honours list for his services to international relations between the UK and Asia.

Nellie Mutemeri

Mining Practice Director
MutConsult

Prof. Nellie Mutemeri, is a Mineral Resources Governance Expert with a PhD in Geology. She is the Founder and Mining Practice Director of MutConsult an advisory service at the nexus of minerals, energy and climate. She is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Mining Engineering, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a member of its Mineral Resources Governance Research Group. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the minerals sector in Africa, Latin America and Asia, focusing on sustainability, mineral policy and strategy, ASM formalisation, skills and technology development and transfer, gender equality, and responsible supply chains. She is a scientific board member at the UNESCO International Geosciences Council Programme and is on the editorial board of EPISODES: Journal of International Geoscience and was recently appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the Mineral Economics-SpringerLink journal.

Nere Emiko

Managing Director
Kian Smith Company

Nere Emiko is the Founder and Executive vice chairman of Kian Smith Company focused on the mine-to-market gold value chain in Africa and pioneering other gold initiatives including Sanu, a digital and tokenized platform for precious metals. The company is actively dedicated to developing the African gold value chain and consults for institutions and governments on the mining sector. A founding director of the Africa Gold Council, she is also a pioneer partner of Legacy of Traditions focused on innovation and digitization to develop cultural economies and build industries through festivals and cultural traditions. She is the vice president of the Nigeria Indonesia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI). She is also on the board of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) – the world’s only global fund that provides grants to build resilience against violent extremism and strengthen community resilience.

She started her professional career in computer architecture in the Semi-conductor industry with Motorola-Freescale Semiconductors. She holds a BSE & MSE from Carnegie Mellon University in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Saleem H. Ali

Chair and Distinguished Professor
University Of Delaware and United Nations University

Saleem H. Ali is Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environment at the University of Delaware (USA). He also serves as Lead for Critical Minerals at the United Nations University and is a member of the United Nations International Resource Panel. Previously he was director of the Center for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of Queensland Australia where he retains Honorary Professorship. His books include Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford Univ. Press, 2025);Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability (Columbia University Press, 2023);and Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life (Oxford Univ. Press, 2022). He received his doctorate in environmental planning from MIT, a Masters in Environmental Studies from Yale University and a Bachelors in Chemistry from Tufts University (summa cum laude).

Sunil Kashyap

Managing Director
FinMetals Pte Ltd.

Mr. Kashyap was instrumental in setting up the Scotiabank’s bullion business in several Asian countries and has been closely involved with the liberalization process of the Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern bullion markets.

He oversaw a precious metals business operating within a strong regulatory and governance framework in compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act, Conflict-Free Mineral legislation, NSFR rules, OFAC Sanction lists, Reach legislation, Volcker rule and Transaction Reporting.

Mr. Kashyap has been a member of the International Advisor’s Committee of the Shanghai Gold Exchange and former Chairman of Bullion Singapore Market Association. He was also a member of Membership Committee of London Bullion Market Association. He actively provides advice on markets and industry trend.

During his 25-year career in the gold markets in Asia, Australia, Europe and Middle East, Sunil has developed relationships with producers, refiners, shippers, consumers, commercial and central banks. He has hands-on experience of sourcing Dore, refining metal, shipping and distributing bullion bars across the key markets of Dubai, India, South East Asia and China. He brings an in-depth understanding of the key challenges faced and market forces influencing participants in the physical gold supply chain.

Sunil holds a Master degree in Business Administration from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York and is an engineering graduate from IIT, New Delhi

Vinit Agarwal

Director & Head of Trading, The Group Vintage
Vintage Bullion DMCC

Vinit Agarwal is the Director and Head of Trading at The Group Vintage, where he leads the group’s global precious metals business through its flagship subsidiary, Vintage Bullion DMCC. With over 15 years of experience across financial markets and commodity trading, Vinit has played a central role in scaling Vintage’s presence across the Middle East, South Asia, and key global bullion corridors.

He is known for his strategic leadership in physical precious metals trading, overseeing relationships with LBMA and UAEGD refineries, international bullion banks, and wholesale traders. Vinit has successfully executed trades and deliveries on global exchanges including COMEX and Borsa Istanbul, and has been a driving force behind Vintage’s participation in the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) at GIFT City—where the firm is now one of the largest suppliers.

With a deep understanding of geopolitical risk, market cycles, and global supply chains, Vinit brings a disciplined, risk-managed approach to commodity trading. He is a frequent contributor to industry dialogue and has actively participated in committee-level discussions with stakeholders and regulators shaping the future of India’s bullion ecosystem.
Vinit holds an MBA in Finance from Case Western Reserve University (USA) and a B.Com from Mumbai University. He represents Vintage Bullion as an affiliate member of the LBMA, and as a member of DGCX and DMCC.