Middle East - Dubai

Dubai Media City Building 2, 4th Floor – Office 407, Dubai Media City

Our Middle East team is home to a dedicated team of more than 100  consultants, with a diversity of experiences and backgrounds, including first hand exposure to sports bodies and previous tenure at top tier management consultancies. We provide comprehensive management consulting services, and work with a diverse range of clients, including government entities, sports federations and leagues, real estate developers and private and institutional investors.

From our first project in the region in 2015, we have been working closely with the senior stakeholders on shaping the future of sports and physical activity, and are proud to have played a significant role in the rapid transformation the sector is witnessing. Our ambition is to continue shaping the sports agenda for the region, to unlock social and economic benefits.

Regional Leadership Team

Wissam Khalaf

Partner

Wissam is a Partner and Head of MEA at Portas, with 16 years of experience. He focuses on strategy, planning, governance, and implementation. Wissam previously worked at Strategy&. He holds an MBA from INSEAD.

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Donal McElwee

Managing Partner

Donal is the Managing Partner at Portas, accountable for 160 staff across 5 regional offices. He previously led the Middle East and Africa region where he continues to maintain a key account focus. Donal works closely with senior leaders in the sports sector, including Ministries of Sport, Olympic Committees, federations, investors, and the private sector.

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Petra Santini

Partner

Petra is a Partner at Portas, with 11 years of experience. She focuses on strategy and policy development and operating model design. Petra previously worked as a Visiting Associate at Boston Consulting Group. She holds a First Class Honors degree from Boston University and a Master in Management from the University of Cambridge.

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Mohamed Berrada

Partner

Mohamed Berrada is a Partner at Portas, leading the Commercial and Investment Practice globally and the Technology & Digital Practice regionally. With 16 years of experience, he has worked across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Before joining Portas, Mohamed spent 9 years at Bain & Company as an Associate Partner. He holds an MBA from ESSEC Business School and actively participates in tennis.

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