WHO WE ARE
We exist to drive prosperity
The Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC) is an initiative spearheaded by the federal governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada to facilitate trade and business activity between the two countries.
This high-level business organisation supports the development of long-term relationships and undertakes strategic and targeted initiatives to enhance business and trade opportunity between Canada and the UAE.
Membership
Membership is by invitation only and is focused at the executive level. Board members are leading companies in Canada and the UAE.
The CUBC provides memberships, sponsorship opportunities, and trade and investment services to organisations interested in the Canada and/or UAE markets.
Our role
Our role is to provide value to our members specifically and, more generally, to the overall bilateral relationship between Canada and the UAE.
Our vision is to achieve the shared goal of enhancing economic prosperity for both countries.
LEADERSHIP
The Hon. Jean Charest
CUBC Co-Chair (Canada)
Jean Charest is one of Canada’s best known political figures. He has served both federally and provincially as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Premier of Québec. Jean Charest is a partner at Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur where he assists clients with international transactions, projects and mandates. He also offers unique expertise thanks to his extensive experience in Canadian and international public policy and business.
Musabbeh Al Kaabi
CUBC Co-Chair (UAE)
Musabbeh Al Kaabi is the Chief Executive Officer of Upstream at ADNOC. He currently serves as a board member of Masdar, Tabreed, ADNOC Gas, ADNOC Drilling and Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. In the past, he has served on the boards of several leading organizations including Mubadala Energy, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Dolphin Energy, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), Emirates Global Aluminium, Borealis, Cepsa, NOVA Chemicals and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
John Prato
CUBC Vice-Chair (Canada)
John Prato is the Deputy Chair and Executive Managing Director at TD Securities. He rejoined TD Securities in 2016 after serving as Canada’s Consul General in New York, where he focused on investment, energy development, and continental security. He began his career at TD in 1991, joining TD Securities in 1996. His experience spans mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, IPOs, and equity underwriting. A trusted advisor, John counsels executives and political leaders across Canada and the U.S.
Omar Al Hashmi
CUBC Vice-Chair (UAE)
Omar Al Hashmi serves as the Chief Executive Officer of TAQA’s Transmission & Distribution business, a position he has held since January 2024. In this role, he oversees the company’s diverse portfolio of transmission and distribution assets. Prior to his role at TAQA, Mr. Al Hashmi was Executive Director – Asset Management at Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (AD Power).
Ibrahim Al Housani
CUBC Executive Member
Ibrahim Al Housani is the Senior Vice Presidence of UAE Investments at Mubadala Investment Company. He has a demonstrated history of working in the global investment management industry in both real estate and energy sectors, with a focus on the MENA, UK and Asian markets. He is skilled in structuring and executing investments in multi asset classes, various structures, different markets & number of geographies. He has led teams in asset management, due diligence, deal structuring & finance reporting functions. He has established greenfield investment platforms in private sector and strategic commercial arms in the government sector.
Aziz Shariff
CUBC Finance Committee Chair
Aziz Shariff is the Chairman of Trimark Capital Group which runs a Family Office out of Dubai. Trimark is actively involved in investments, particularly in Natural Resources in a number of countries around the globe. He was a former Chairman of the FOCUS Humanitarian Agency which is a part of the Aga Khan Development Network. He was the Senior Advisor to Aga Khan Museum based in Toronto. He is a UK Qualified Chartered Accountant.
Tim Ross
CUBC Board Secretary
Tim Ross is a senior lawyer and business advisor with a 25-year track record of advising on significant corporate finance, restructuring and regulatory matters in the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Prior to joining SkyLaw in Toronto, he spent 14 years as an expat based in London and then Dubai serving in progressive leadership roles at Linklaters, Latham & Watkins, and Bennett Jones. He also spent a year seconded to Credit Suisse. He was General Editor the of Oxford University Press publication Financial Services Regulation in the Middle East.
Nour Kechacha
CUBC President
Nour Kechacha is the President of the Canada-UAE Business Council. A Canadian based in Abu Dhabi, she most recently served as an Advisor to two Canadian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and served for three years as a senior aide in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. In these roles, and among other important projects, she oversaw during the pandemic Canada’s largest peacetime repatriation effort and managed strategic partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
OUR MEMBERS
OUR HISTORY
2013Canada-UAE Strategic Agenda
In 2013, the foreign ministers of Canada and the UAE announced the Canada-UAE Strategic Agenda to strengthen and energize the bilateral relationship. The Agenda has three pillars: Prosperity, Security, and Development. As part of the prosperity pillar, the ministers jointly created the Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC) to provide strategic recommendations to both governments. After 18 months of deliberations between appointed business leaders from the UAE and Canada, the business leaders presented eight recommendations. The first recommendation was to create a permanent, private-sector-driven CUBC in both countries.2016Incorporation
The CUBC was incorporated in Toronto in 2016. The Council’s head office opened in downtown Toronto the following year.2019Presence in the UAE
A permanent presence was setup in Dubai in 2019. The primary mandate of the organization is to play a central role in government-to-business engagement and a supporting role in government-to-government engagement.