Ahmed AlKhaja
Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
As Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed is responsible for overseeing the world-class festivals and
events organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), aimed at positioning
Dubai as a leading family & tourism destination offering unique retail, gastronomy, and leisure
experiences throughout the year.
He ensures that DFRE effectively supports the retail sector across the city through an annual
programme of events that covers shopping festivals, promotional offers, seasonal celebrations,
back-to-school sales, flash sales, and the launch of seasonal collections, as well as other related
retail experiences. In addition to his role with DFRE, Ahmed also manages and oversees Dubai
Business Events (DBE), another division of DET, which focuses on promoting Dubai as a premier
destination for business events, exhibitions and conferences.
With an ongoing focus on enhancing the calibre of the retail calendar to support Dubai’s economy
and tourism vision, and the objectives of Dubai’s economic agenda D33, Ahmed has played a
vital role in leading major festivals in the city including Dubai Fitness Challenge, Dubai Summer
Surprises, Dubai Food Festival, Ramadan in Dubai, Eid in Dubai, Dubai Shopping Festival,
Modesh World and many more.
He has a proven executive management track record, and prior to joining DFRE, held key
positions at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). He was appointed Vice President of DWTC’s
Venues department in 2010 and was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2013.
Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aircraft Engineering from Embry Riddle
Aeronautical, USA, and an MBA.