The United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has appointed Dr Ahmad Hesham as its new General Counsel and Board Secretary, adding another experienced executive to its leadership team as the country continues building its regulated commercial gaming sector.
Dr Hesham brings more than 25 years of experience in legal affairs, regulation and public policy across multiple jurisdictions. Before joining the GCGRA, he served as General Counsel and Senior Legal Adviser to the UAE federal government, where he played a key role in drafting and implementing major legislative reforms.
Among the legal initiatives he helped shape were the UAE Labour Law, the Domestic Workers Law, the country’s Unemployment Insurance Scheme and the Higher Education Law. He also holds a PhD alongside two master’s degrees in law.
His background also includes senior judicial positions, notably serving as Vice-President of Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court, while representing governments and public institutions in regional and international legal forums. In addition, he has advised international organisations on legislative and competition law reforms across the Middle East and North Africa.
The GCGRA said the appointment reinforces its legal and regulatory capabilities as it continues developing a transparent and internationally recognised framework for commercial gaming in the UAE. Established in 2023, the authority oversees licensing, regulation and supervision of commercial gaming activities nationwide.
Dr Hesham joins the regulator shortly after the appointment of Ciarán Carruthers as permanent Chief Executive Officer in June. Carruthers, formerly CEO of Crown Resorts in Australia and an executive at Wynn Macau, was brought in to lead the next phase of the UAE’s commercial gaming expansion following the departure of Kevin Mullally.
The appointments come as the UAE accelerates the rollout of its regulated gaming market. Over the past year, the GCGRA has issued licences for commercial gaming activities, expanded its executive leadership team and continued implementing the regulatory framework that will govern both land-based and online gaming across the Emirates.