AT
Confidential Executive Profile · 2026

Where capital meets conviction.

For three decades, Abdelbadie Taher has led financial strategy, corporate transformation, and governance across the MENA region — stepping in where the stakes are highest and the path forward is least certain.

Group CEO Group CFO Turnaround Expert
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30+
Years of
Experience
+1.0B
USD Financing
Transactions
4
MENA
Countries
12+
Organisations
Led
01 Executive Summary

A career defined by transformation.

Abdelbadie Taher is a results-driven C-suite financial executive whose career spans sovereign government, energy, real estate, shipping, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals — a uniquely panoramic view of regional business dynamics.

Over the past decade alone, he has led and closed multi-billion-dirham financing deals, working hand-in-hand with top-tier financial institutions, government entities, and private investors.

i.

Institutional Rigour

IFRS group consolidation and audited reporting delivered to sovereign stakeholders and Big-4 auditors.

ii.

Complete Discretion

Trusted with the most sensitive transactions at the highest levels of government and enterprise.

iii.

Sector Depth

From LNG and shipping to flour milling and sovereign finance — fluency across radically different industries.

iv.

Senior Engagement

Dual Group-CFO mandates and chairman appointments reflecting the highest level of executive trust.

02 Regional Presence

Built across the region.

Four GCC and North-African markets, each entered at depth — not as an outsider, but embedded inside the institutions that define them.

5yrs
United Arab Emirates
Government of Sharjah · Ajmal Makan · Waagner-Biro
6yrs
Saudi Arabia
Tanmiyat Al Riyadh · Al-Faisaliah · Abudawood
5yrs
Qatar
QatarEnergy (Qatar Petroleum)
10yrs
Egypt
Five Stars · HSA · Sigmatec · Maersk
03 Sectors of Expertise

Cross-industry authority.

01

Energy & Resources

QatarEnergy — the world's largest LNG producer. Group IFRS consolidation across upstream, midstream & downstream.

02

Real Estate

Ajmal Makan (UAE) & Tanmiyat Al Riyadh (KSA) — dual Group-CFO mandate driving billion-dirham project financing.

03

Shipping & Logistics

A.P. Moller–Maersk — the world's largest shipping group. Five-year MENA regional P&L and treasury management.

04

Manufacturing & FMCG

Five Stars Flour Mills — Egypt's market leader. A full turnaround from shutdown to record EBITDA.

05

Sovereign Government

Government of Sharjah — AED 1.1B+ sovereign financing. Panda Bonds, PPAs, and infrastructure deals.

06

Pharma & Healthcare

Sigmatec Pharmaceutical Industries — General Manager, Finance, within the Sigma Group.

04 Current Mandate · 2023 – Present

Group CFO — UAE & Saudi Arabia.

United Arab Emirates

Ajmal Makan

Real Estate Development · Group CFO
October 2023 – Present
Saudi Arabia

Tanmiyat Al Riyadh

Real Estate Development · Group CFO
October 2023 – Present

A landmark dual mandate — simultaneously serving as Group CFO for two major real-estate developers across two GCC markets. For Ajmal Makan (UAE), the scope spans group financial strategy, multi-billion-AED project financing, and investor reporting. For Tanmiyat Al Riyadh (KSA), it covers Vision-2030-aligned financial planning, SAR-denominated financing structures, and group consolidation — a concurrent arrangement reflecting exceptional organisational capacity and the highest level of executive trust.

05 Key Achievements — Ajmal Makan

A +626M AED transformation.

A consolidated net position transformed by +626.2M AED — from a deficit of 299.3M AED (Nov 2023) to +326.8M AED (Apr 2026), across eight entities.

01

Engineered a 304% expansion in cash reserves — from 22.7M to 91.6M AED — through a full banking-strategy redesign.

02

Deployed 439M AED into high-yield fixed deposits at FAB & DIB, converting idle capital into an active revenue stream.

03

Achieved 38% debt deleveraging — reducing liabilities by 122.5M AED — restructuring the remainder into a single 200M AED DIB facility.

04

Consolidated banking relationships from 11 fragmented banks to 2 Tier-1 institutions (FAB & DIB) — eliminating 98% of banking complexity.

05

Structured and negotiated multi-billion-AED project financing from term sheet through to drawdown.

06

Re-engineered group treasury into a centralised, institutional-grade liquidity engine across all eight entities.

The 626M AED Swing

Four strategic pillars.

+432M
Deposit Explosion

Capital centralised into top-tier fixed deposits at FAB and DIB — fragmented idle accounts converted into high-yield reserves.

+122.5M
Debt Reduction

38% portfolio deleveraging — high-cost debt eliminated and obligations centralised into a single 200M AED DIB facility.

+68.9M
Cash Expansion

Operational cash grew 304% — from 22.7M to 91.6M AED — through disciplined treasury management.

+2.7M
Variance Clearance

Inter-company balances and reconciliation variances resolved across all eight entities.

06 In-Depth Case Study · 2019 – 2023

Five Stars Flour Mills — from shutdown to market leader.

Egypt's market leader in flour and animal feed since 1997. By 2019 the group had accumulated crippling debt, suffered operational shutdown, and faced an existential crisis. Abdelbadie was appointed simultaneously as Chairman & MD and Group CFO — a dual appointment reflecting the severity of the situation and the confidence placed in his turnaround credentials.

Phase 01

Creditor Settlement

Led creditor negotiations achieving a waiver of over EGP 600 million from total debt — with the remainder rescheduled over ten years at deeply discounted rates.

Phase 02

Operational Restart

Successfully restarted both companies following their shutdown — restoring capacity, re-engaging suppliers, and rebuilding the workforce.

Phase 03

Governance Overhaul

Restructured the entire top-management team — replacing family-business decision-making with multinational governance, transparency, and compliance standards.

Phase 04

Record Profitability

Achieved the highest gross margin and EBITDA in company history — with lower sales volumes and zero additional financial support.

Phase 05

Market Reconquest

Rebuilt and expanded market share — reclaiming undisputed leadership in flour milling and animal feed across Egypt.

Phase 06

Strategic Exit

Negotiated and executed the sale of the company's shares to new investors at a strong valuation — the ultimate validation of the turnaround.

From family-owned enterprise to multinational-grade operation — institutional reporting, board governance, and undisputed market leadership.

07 Sovereign Advisory · 2016 – 2018

Government of Sharjah — deals at scale.

As advisor to the Central Finance Department — the full sovereign function of a Ministry of Finance — Abdelbadie structured and executed the Emirate's most complex transactions across infrastructure, education, energy, water security, and international capital markets. Total mandates exceeding AED 1.1B+.

1.8 GW

Power Purchase Agreement

The landmark power-station deal between Sharjah Government, GE, Sumitomo and SEWA — one of the region's largest energy-infrastructure transactions.

60 MIGD

Desalination Plant

Independent water project structured with Suez International — critical water-security infrastructure for the Emirate.

3-Way M&A

Banking-Sector Merger

Led a complex three-party merger in UAE banking alongside JPMorgan, HSBC, EY and Clifford Chance.

US$500M

CNH 2B Panda Bonds

Renminbi-denominated bond issuance swapped into USD — roadshow conducted in person across China's top banks and institutions.

AED 520M

American University of Sharjah

Dual financing facilities (AED 200M + 320M) for capital and operational needs.

AED 415M

Shurooq Infrastructure

Project finance for the Sharjah Investment & Development Authority, plus an AED 175M working-capital facility for the University of Sharjah and nationwide VAT-implementation advisory.

08 World-Class Foundations · 1992 – 2010

Where it all began.

2005 – 2010 · Doha

QatarEnergy

Consolidation & Group Reporting Head

Led group-level IFRS consolidation for one of the world's top-five energy companies — multi-entity structures spanning upstream, midstream and downstream, with audited financials delivered to sovereign stakeholders and Big-4 auditors.

2000 – 2005 · Cairo

A.P. Moller – Maersk

Finance & Administration Manager, Egypt

Managed all finance and administration for the Egypt operations of the world's largest shipping and logistics conglomerate — P&L, treasury, statutory compliance and reporting across multiple jurisdictions.

1993 – 1997 · KSA

Al-Faisaliah Group (SONY)

Modern Electronic Co.

Consumer-electronics distribution — early exposure to Japanese multinational reporting practices and FMCG financial controls.

1997 – 1998 · KSA

Abudawood Group

Procter & Gamble Distributor

Exclusive regional P&G distributor — FMCG distribution finance and multinational reporting standards that would underpin an entire executive career.

09 Core Competencies

What he does best.

Corporate Restructuring

EGP 600M+ debt waived; 38% deleveraging at Ajmal Makan. Full enterprise restructuring from creditor negotiation through operational redesign.

Project Finance

End-to-end structuring — term sheets to drawdown. Conventional and Shariah-compliant instruments (Sukuk, Murabaha, Ijara).

Corporate Governance

Board structures, internal audit, and compliance policy. Transformed Five Stars to multinational-grade governance standards.

M&A Advisory

Financial due diligence, deal structuring, post-merger integration. Led the 3-way UAE banking M&A with JPMorgan, HSBC and EY.

Treasury & Liquidity

Cash optimisation, FX strategy, institutional banking. Converted 439M AED of idle capital into high-yield deposits.

Public Debt Management

Sovereign fiscal policy and debt management — Panda-Bond issuance, ECA financing, and multi-year budget frameworks.

10 Technical Proficiencies

The depth behind the title.

Financial Strategy & FP&A97
Corporate Restructuring & Turnaround95
IFRS & Group Consolidation95
Project Finance & Debt Structuring93
Corporate Governance & Board Relations90
Public Debt & Sovereign Finance88
M&A & Investment Evaluation88
Islamic Finance & Shariah Instruments85
Systems & Platforms
SAPOracleHyperion MS Dynamics NAVExcel — Advanced
11 Education & Qualifications

Academic foundation.

MBA · Global Finance
Paris ESLSCA Business School
Cairo Campus · 2012 – 2015 · GPA 3.65 / 4.0

An internationally accredited programme in Global Finance from one of France's leading Grande-École institutions — advanced financial theory combined with practical MENA-market application.

B.Sc · Accounting
Cairo University — Faculty of Commerce
1986 – 1990
Professional Certifications
  • ACCA Certificate (Level 1)
  • IFRS Certification — Ernst & Young, Qatar
  • IFRS — A.P. Moller Maersk (Italy & South Africa)
  • CMA Preparatory Courses
  • FMVA — Financial Modelling & Valuation Analyst
Contact

Begin a conversation.

Available for senior advisory mandates, Group-CFO engagements, and corporate-turnaround leadership across the MENA region. Every enquiry is treated with complete discretion.

Based In
United Arab Emirates · Serving the MENA Region