His Excellency Dr. Tariq Al Gurg is the Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Since joining in 2009, Dr. Al Gurg has led the organization’s evolution from a national charitable initiative into a global driver of education transformation, impacting 117 million individuals across 60 developing countries.

Under his leadership, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization has expanded its mandate beyond primary education to address the full spectrum of learning, including early childhood development, school health and nutrition, girls’ education, digital learning, youth skilling, and education in emergencies. He utilized research, policy influence, and systems transformation to achieve human development, delivering hundreds of innovative programs, while championing global advocacy initiatives and prioritizing investments in vital research that is shaping education transformation worldwide.

Dr. Al Gurg is the mastermind behind several home-grown landmark initiatives that elevated education’s role in human development globally, including the RewirEd Summit at Expo 2020 Dubai and COP28 UAE, UNICEF’s Dubai Declaration on Early Childhood Development, UNESCO’s RewirEd Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education, Dubai Cares’ Framework for Global Education Transformation and the Global Education Solutions Accelerator (GESA).

Recognized globally for his thought leadership, Dr. Al Gurg has been serving on multiple high-level education global boards and coalitions. He is a founding member of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and its Global Leadership Council; the World Food Programme’s (WFP) School Meals Coalition; UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition; the World Economic Forum’s Education 4.0 Alliance; and the High-Level Steering Group of Education Cannot Wait. He is also a High-Level Champion of the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution, Regional Champion for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), among many others.

In the UAE, he played a vital role in national humanitarian and development efforts including his membership in the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid. He has also been honored with numerous international awards for his contributions to education and philanthropy.

Before his tenure at Dubai Cares, Dr. Al Gurg held senior roles for 12 years at National Bank of Dubai (now Emirates NBD). He was also a member of the UAE’s National Anti-Money Laundering Committee. Moreover, he is the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association.