Guest bio
- CEO and Vice Chairman of Dubai Cares, the UAE philanthropic organisation, which he has led since 2009.
- Has grown Dubai Cares from a local charity initiative into a global force reaching more than 116 million people in 60 countries.
- Spent 12 years at National Bank of Dubai, where he co-launched its affluent banking business in 2005.
Tariq Al Gurg is CEO and Vice Chairman of Dubai Cares, the UAE philanthropic organisation founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He spent 12 years at National Bank of Dubai in senior consumer and corporate banking roles, and in 2005 co-launched its affluent banking business, before becoming CEO of Dubai Cares in 2009. Over 16 years he has grown it from a local charity initiative into a global force whose programmes, from early childhood and school education to clean water, school feeding and girls' education, have reached more than 116 million people in 60 countries. He has spearheaded initiatives including the Dubai Declaration on early childhood development with UNICEF, the RewirEd Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education with UNESCO, and the Global Education Solutions Accelerator. Save the Children has recognised him as a change maker.
Show notes
Step into a masterclass on purpose-driven leadership and global impact with this XTRA episode of Money Majlis. Host Suvo Sarkar interviews Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, the dynamic CEO and Vice Chairman of Dubai Cares, for a conversation that moves from boardroom ambition to classroom transformation on a worldwide scale.
Tariq’s remarkable journey began in the demanding environment of banking, where he rose through the ranks of a leading national bank, absorbing lessons in discipline, strategic leadership, and people management. His career took a dramatic and uncommon turn in 2009, when he traded the security of a banking career for a mission that blends ambition with empathy-leading Dubai Cares, now a philanthropic powerhouse reaching more than 116 million children across 60 countries.
The episode delves into Tariq’s “aha” moment, the blend of personal purpose and visionary thinking that drove him to redefine success by uplifting the most vulnerable through education. He reveals how a banker’s mindset, with its focus on systems and accountability, became the foundation for scaling impact in the development sector. Instead of profits as the bottom line, Dubai Cares pursues a return on investment measured through children’s learning and well-being.
Dr. Al Gurg unpacks the practical innovations that distinguish Dubai Cares-from pioneering integrated education and health programs in Ethiopia, to gender-transformative work for girls in the Philippines and Central America, all the way to digital inclusion pilots and the ambitious Global Education Solutions Accelerator (GESA), a framework endorsed by the United Nations and designed to rewire education for more than two billion beneficiaries. He shares why changing mindsets matters as much as marshalling resources, describing how partnering with governments, UN agencies, and local communities helps embed innovation at scale. The human side of his leadership-his belief in “no room for impossible,” empathy, and the power of bold ideas-shines throughout.
If you want to understand what it means to move money with meaning, and to shape the future by investing in people, this episode is unmissable. Dr. Tariq Al Gurg’s insights will inspire any leader, changemaker, or listener who cares about education, social progress, and building a world where every child has the foundations to thrive.
For more information on Dubai Cares, please visit dubaicares.ae.
And remember to visit moneymajlis.com to redeem your free $50 GiveCard for Dubai Cares.
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