Sama Dubai, the international real estate and investment arm of Dubai Holding, has announced the appointment of Tayeb Al-Rais as its chief operating officer. The new role is among several senior management positions created at Sama Dubai to consolidate regional and international operations and drive corporate performance.

Al-Rais’ rich experience in top tier executive positions makes him an ideal choice for the key role, at a time when Sama Dubai is rapidly making a presence in global markets.

Prior to Sama Dubai, Al-Rais was associated with the Liberty Investment Company in the UAE. As the managing director – Strategy Development, he was responsible for the growth of its automotive division, Liberty Automobiles, the authorised distributor for General Motors’ vehicles.

Earlier, Al-Rais spent four years with General Motors Middle East in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As the regional north west development manager, his key responsibilities included managing the company’s day-to-day operations, such as revenue and sales growth and expense, cost and margin control, as well as achieving its overall financial targets He was also responsible for developing and directing the implementation of the company’s policies.