Jonathan Emery

About

As the Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Development, I lead the largest and most diversified real estate development company in the Middle East, overseeing the company’s residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality development activities across the UAE, Egypt, and the UK. In 2025, Aldar Development reported AED 18.3 billion (USD 4.98 billion) in global sales in the first half of the year, with 24% year-on-year net profit growth – reflecting continued demand and momentum across its markets. My purpose is to create sustainable communities that elevate quality of life while addressing today’s environmental and social challenges. I champion wellness-centric living, accelerating progress to Net Zero, and embedding innovation into every stage of the development lifecycle, with a firm belief that the built environment should support better living, long-term value, and lasting impact. I actively support startups and platforms pushing innovation in real estate and serve as a non-executive director and advisor to organisations including London Square, Sodic, Goldman Sachs, and Pilabs. I’ve had the privilege of leading multinational, publicly listed companies and delivering transformative, city-defining projects in cities such as London, Sydney, Cairo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and New York. My graduate education was undertaken at Nottingham Trent University, along with executive education from Henley Business School, Harvard, and INSEAD. I’ve also served as a visiting Professor of Architecture at Yale University.