Dubai Holding Names CEO for SmartCity Malta

Dubai Holding, the global investment holding company, has appointed Deepak Padmanabhan as the chief executive officer of SmartCity Malta, thus reiterating its commitment to its ambitious project in the archipelago in the central Mediterranean region.

A long-term collaboration with the Government of Malta, SmartCity Malta will be a 360,000-sq-m business and technology park directly adjacent to the country’s Valletta Grand Harbour.

Khalid Al Malik, the chairman of SmartCity Malta and chief real estate officer of Dubai Holding, said:
"We are committed to the development of SmartCity Malta, and are pushing ahead with the next phase of the development. SmartCity Malta will become a vibrant community where people will live, work, and play."

"We have appointed one of our most experienced and accomplished executives to lead the development. Padmanabhan brings a wealth of expertise, including experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategy and business development, transformation and long-term value creation," he noted.

Padmanabhan is a respected figure across Malta’s business community, having led the local telecommunications company GO as chairman for more than a decade. He has also served on the board of SmartCity Malta since its inception.

Al Malik said: "We are determined to create a central innovation hub, which will serve as the heartbeat for continued growth in Malta long into the future. This undertaking is a long-term partnership between Dubai Holding, the Government of Malta, SmartCity Malta’s business partners, employees and stakeholders everywhere."

Since the announcement of the development, the local economy of Malta has matured considerably, he added.

Source: Trade Arabia