His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai is Chairman of the Board of Directors of EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond. He previously held the position of CEO and Managing Director.
Leveraging a range of emerging technologies that shape the new era of hybrid warfare, EDGE comprises four strategic business clusters: Platforms & Systems, Weapons & Missiles, Electronic Warfare & Cyber Technologies, and Trading & Mission Support. Al Bannai is also Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). Accelerating a culture of innovation and discovery in Abu Dhabi, ATRC focuses on high-impact R&D in the advanced technology domain. Al Bannai plays an instrumental role in building Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy across academia, and the public and private sectors, reinforcing Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s position as a global innovation hub.
He is currently a Member of the Board of Trustees for Khalifa University of Science and Technology, a world-class research institution that nurtures critical thinkers in applied science and engineering. In addition, he is a board member of the Emirates Research and Development Council, and also a UAE University Council member. Earlier in his career, Al Bannai founded DarkMatter, a global cyber security service provider, which he expanded into a US$400 million business. Prior to this, he founded Axiom Telecom, the largest distributor of mobile devices in the Middle East, with an annual turnover of US$2.5 billion. He has been member of the board of Axiom Telecom since 2005.
He has received several accolades, with the most notable being the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Al Bannai was recognised as the Technology Business Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards (2017). He ranked at #20 on Forbes’s Top CEOs in the Middle East 2021 list, as EDGE Group CEO and Managing Director. Earlier, he joined Arabian Business’s 100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East ranking (2018), as well as the elite Gulf Business Arab Power List (2018, 2019, 2021). His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Boston University in the US and a master’s degree in Shipping Trade and Finance from City University in the UK.
