Director General of National Archives and National Library since November 2021. Over the past 27 years, HE occupied several key functional positions in the fields of media, culture and heritage; including working as Executive Director at the National Archive since January 2021 , Executive Director of Dar al Kutub and Libraries Management divisions at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, as well as Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.

HE al Ali led several of DCT – Abu Dhabi’s divisions and units over the years, achieving great success in promoting the cultural identity of Abu Dhabi and positioning the capital emirate on the global stage as an important hub of cultural exchange and knowledge. The roles he occupied include Director of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the flagship DCT event, between 2006 and 2012.

Between 2001 and 2005, HE al Ali worked as Deputy Head of Financial and Administrative Affairs, before joining the Human Resources division as Head of Employee Affairs; both positions at DCT. Before joining the Department, HE worked as a Public Relations Editor at gas liquefication giant ‘Adgas’ for two years. He started his professional career at the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, between 1994 and 1999.

HE al Ali has been instrumental to the success of some of DCT’s most notable events and programmes, such as Sheikh Zayed Book Award, ‘Kalima’ translation project, ‘Isdarat’ publishing initiative, and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Moreover, HE led the foundation of the Qasr al Watan Library at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, and has played an influential role as a member of several committees and departments within DCT, including the Board of the National Archive, Board of Trustees of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and Board of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Furthermore, HE al Ali has participated in many self-development and coaching programmes, including the Board Excellence & Governance course by the GCC Institute for Board Members, in 2018. HE is a graduate of the Harvard School of Business Senior Management training course in April of the same year. HE is also a Certified Appraiser for the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) since 2010.

HE al Ali holds several academic qualifications, including a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Public Relations from the United Arab Emirates University in 1998. By 2005, HE has also attained a Master’s in Humanities from Ain Shams University in Egypt, with a thesis titled ‘Lifestyle Transformation & the Correlation with Behavioural and Cultural Influences in the UAE’.